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Is hepatitis C associated with atherosclerotic burden? A systematic review and meta-analysis
He Huang1, Rongyan Kang1, Zhendong Zhao1
1MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Insights
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is linked to a higher risk of carotid atherosclerosis. This meta-analysis confirms this association, even after accounting for other risk factors, suggesting increased screening for HCV patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is increasingly linked to atherosclerosis.
- Conflicting study results necessitate further investigation into this association.
- Understanding the relationship is crucial for patient risk assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a meta-analysis clarifying the association between HCV infection and atherosclerosis.
- To compare the risk of atherosclerosis in HCV-infected individuals versus non-infected individuals.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search identified 14 eligible studies.
- Data from 11 studies were synthesized for unadjusted odds ratios (ORs) of carotid atherosclerosis.
- Data from 8 studies were synthesized for adjusted ORs, controlling for confounders.
Main Results:
- The pooled unadjusted OR for carotid atherosclerosis was 1.65 (95% CI: 1.21, 2.09).
- The pooled adjusted OR for carotid atherosclerosis was 1.76 (95% CI: 1.20, 2.32).
- Limited data were available for coronary or femoral atherosclerosis.
Conclusions:
- HCV infection is significantly associated with carotid atherosclerosis, independent of traditional risk factors.
- HCV-infected patients should be counseled regarding their elevated risk for carotid atherosclerosis.
- Further research may be needed for other vascular beds.
Background And Aims:
Increasing evidence demonstrates that hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with atherosclerosis. However, there are contrasting findings in several studies that the atherosclerotic burden is not associated with HCV infections. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to clarify if HCV infection is associated with atherosclerosis compared to non-infected people.
Methods:
Standard guidelines for performance of meta-analysis were followed.
Results:
A thorough database search performed by two independent investigators identified 14 eligible studies for analysis. The data from 11 studies were synthesized to report unadjusted odds ratios (ORs) for carotid atherosclerosis; the pooled unadjusted OR (95% confidence interval (CI)) was 1.65 (1.21, 2.09). By synthesizing the data from 8 studies to report adjusted ORs for carotid atherosclerosis the pooled multi-confounder adjusted OR (95% CI) was 1.76 (1.20, 2.32). However, the numbers of studies on coronary or femoral atherosclerosis were limited and not enough for analysis.
Conclusions:
Our meta-analysis indicates that HCV infection is associated with carotid atherosclerosis independent of classical risk factors. Therefore, we would recommend for HCV infected patients to be counseled on their risk for carotid atherosclerosis.
