The Relationship Between Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Infection and Insulin Resistance (IR)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63318/waujpasv4i1_32Keywords:
Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), Insulin Resistance, HOMA-IR, Type 2 Diabetes MellitusAbstract
Background: There is a well-established correlation between Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection and the development of diabetes mellitus, with increased prevalence observed among diabetic patients.
Objective: This cross-sectional study was conducted on patients attending the Medical Reference Laboratory in Sebha-Libya. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection and insulin resistance (IR), as one of the major metabolic complications associated with chronic infection.
Method: A total of 115 participants were enrolled and divided into two groups: 90 patients with confirmed HCV infection and 25healthy controls. Clinical and laboratory assessments included fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), liver function tests, body mass index (BMI), and calculation of HOMA-IR as an index for insulin resistance.
Results: The results showed significantly higher levels of fasting blood glucose, insulin, HbA1c, and HOMA-IR in patients group compared with controls(P-value<0.05), indicating a strong association between HCV infection and insulin resistance. Notably, 52.2% of HCV patients were found to have insulin resistance (HOMA-IR > 2.4), while no significant differences were observed with respect to age or gender. Moreover, alterations in liver function parameters were observed, reflecting the interplay between viral infection and metabolic dysregulation.
Conclusion: HCV infection plays a pivotal role in promoting metabolic disturbances, particularly insulin resistance, which may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus and accelerate liver-related complications.
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