INCIDENCE OF ANTIVIRAL THERAPY IN AMELIORATING HEPATITIS C ASSOCIATED COMORBIDITIES IN TAIWAN: A 7 YEAR FOLLOW UP NATIONWIDE POPULATION-BASED STUDY
Yueh-Chin Chung, Ph. D., Shu-Fen Li, Ph. D., Mei-Wen Lee, Ph. D., Chien-Wei Wu, MBA., Horng-Mo Lee, Ph. D., Chin-Chih Ho, Ph. D. and Chin-Tun Hung, Ph. D.*
ABSTRACT
Objectives: Hepatic C Virus (HCV) infection is associated with development of type 2 diabetes (T2D). This
population-based study was designed to assess whether anti-viral therapy following HCV-infected hepatitis may
reduce the incidence rates of T2D and hazard ratios for associated cormobidities. Methods: A total of 13,025
subjects were retrieved from the NHIRD cohort from 2000 to 2003. Among them, 2641 (20%) were diagnosed
with HCV-infected hepatitis, and 10,564 HCV negative subjects served as control group. Among the 2,641
HCV-infected subjects, 139 (5.3%) subjects received IFN/RBV therapy.The other 2,502 hepatitis C patients not
receiving IFN/RBV therapy served as comparison group. Results: Among the 10,564 HCV sero-negative control
subjects, 920 subjects (8.7%) developed T2D in 7 years. On the other hand, there were 444 (16.8%) HCV-infected
subjects developed T2D in 7 years. HCV-hepatitis patients were more likely to develop T2D (hazard ratio 2.097,
95% CI 1.872–2.348; p <0.001). Among the 2502 HCV patients not receiving IBT therapy, 434 patients (17.3%)
developed T2D in 7 years. In contrast, only 10 (7.2%) in 139 HCV-infected subjects who received IBT therapy
developed T2D in 7 years. The adjusted hazard ratio was 0.341 (95% CI 0.182–0.639; p<0.001).The hepatitis C
patients have a higher incidence of T2D, hepatic steatosis, cardiovascular disorders and hepatocellular carcinoma
(HCC). After interferon-base therapy intervention T2D significantly reduce its incidence. Conclusions: Our data
suggest that HCV infection was associated with increased risk of T2D, and anti-viral therapy may be reduce the
incidence of T2D.
Keywords: Hepatitis C virus (HCV), Type 2 diabetes (T2D), Epidemiology, Incidence, Hazard ratios.
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