High Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus among Adult Patients with Viral Hepatitis C than Hepatitis B

Abstract

-Background: Viral hepatitis B and C can lead to the end stage liver disease and diabetes mellitus is also a life-long chronic disease. Simultaneous presences of both of these conditions lead to synergistic detrimental outcome. So identification of diabetes mellitus at the initial evaluation of a patient having chronic hepatitis B and C is essential. Materials and methods: This study was designed as a retrospective single center cross-sectional study. The association of viral hepatitis B and C with diabetes mellitus was investigated at the Liver Centre Dhaka, Bangladesh for a period of 12 years. HBsAg was tested for hepatitis B virus infection and anti-HCV for hepatitis C virus infection. Demographic profile and biochemical data were retrieved from records. Results: A total of 29425 cases were analyzed in the study [median age 31(19–95) years, 24615(84%) males]. HBsAg positive were 27475 and hepatitis C were 1950. Patients with hepatitis C were older than hepatitis B (p<0.001). Although previous history of jaundice was similar in both infections but history of blood transfusion was more common among hepatitis C patients (p<0.001). Analyzing different conditions of liver disease, it was observed that hepatitis B virus infection was highly responsible for acute hepatitis than hepatitis C (10.7% vs 1.1%) (p<0.001). Chronic hepatitis was similar in rate (73.3% vs 59.9%). But in both conditions of cirrhosis of liver like compensated and decompensated states, hepatitis C virus was significantly responsible than the hepatitis B virus 24.7% vs 9.6% (p<0.001) and 14.3% vs 6.4% (p<0.001) respectively. The most significant finding was very higher rate of diabetes among hepatitis C which was 22.6% while only 1.8% among hepatitis B virus infection (p<0.001). Conclusion: Hepatitis C virus was highly related with the presence of diabetes than hepatitis B.