Successful Hepatitis C Treatment May Reduce Risk for Developing Type 2 Diabetes

Successful treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and achieving sustained virologic response (SVR) may reduce the risk for developing type 2 diabetes (T2D), according to a large cohort study published in the Journal of Viral Hepatitis.

Using data from the longitudinal Chronic Hepatitis Cohort study, a registry drawn from 4 geographically and racially diverse US health systems, researchers investigated the incidence of T2D at 12 weeks post-HCV treatment in 5127 patients infected with HCV without a history of T2D or hepatitis B. The average follow-up period was 3.7 years.

The researchers found that the incidence of T2D was significantly lower in patients who achieved a SVR (231/2748; 6.2%) compared with patients who failed HCV treatment (299/1279; 21.7%).

They also found that the risk for T2D was higher in African American and Asian American, American Indian, and Pacific Islander (ASINPI) patients than in white patients, and was 2-fold higher in Hispanic patients compared with non-Hispanic patients.

Patients with a body mass index ≥30 and 25-30 had a higher incidence of T2D than patients with a BMI <25. Cirrhosis at baseline was also associated with a 1.5-fold higher incidence of T2D than that in patients without cirrhosis.

While this study demonstrated that successful treatment of HCV is associated with a reduction in the incidence of T2D, the investigators concluded that, “African American and ASINPI race as well as the presence of cirrhosis appear to increase the risk for developing T2D among those without successful response to treatment. Therefore, patients with these risk factors should be monitored closely for T2D prevention and care.”

Disclosure: Stuart C. Gordon, MD, receives grant/research support from AbbVie Pharmaceuticals, Conatus, CymaBay, Exalenz BioScience, Gilead Pharmaceuticals, Intercept Pharmaceuticals, and Merck. He is also a consultant/advisor for Abbvie, CVS Caremark, Gilead, Intercept, and Merck.

Reference

Li J, Zhang T, Gordon SC, et al; for the CHeCS Investigators. Impact of sustained virological response on risk of type 2 diabetes among hepatitis C patients in the US [published online February 25, 2018]. J Viral Hepat. doi:10.1111/jvh.12887