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Nutritional status in patients with hepatitis C
Faisal Wasim Ismail1, Rustam A Khan, Lubna Kamani
1Department of Medicine, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. faisal.ismail@aku.edu
Summary
Malnutrition is common in hepatitis C virus (HCV) liver disease, starting early and worsening with disease progression. The subjective global assessment (SGA) tool identified significant malnutrition across all HCV stages.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Nutritional Science
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can lead to progressive liver damage.
- Nutritional status is a critical factor in managing chronic liver disease.
- Early identification of malnutrition is essential for patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the nutritional status of patients with varying stages of hepatitis C virus (HCV) liver disease.
- To utilize the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) screening tool for nutritional assessment.
- To compare nutritional status across different HCV disease severities.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive study involving 400 participants, including healthy controls (HC) and patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC), compensated cirrhosis (CC), and decompensated cirrhosis (DC).
- Participants were recruited from outpatient clinics at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi.
- Nutritional status was assessed using the validated Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) tool.
Main Results:
- A significant proportion of patients across all HCV stages exhibited malnutrition.
- Malnutrition was most severe in decompensated cirrhosis (DC) (98% malnourished, predominantly class 'C').
- Even patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) showed statistically significant poorer nutritional status compared to healthy controls (p=0.005).
Conclusions:
- Malnutrition is an early and progressive complication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
- Nutritional status deteriorates significantly as HCV liver disease advances.
- The SGA tool is effective in identifying malnutrition in HCV patients.
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