Evaluation of Cardiovascular Risk Factors after Hepatitis C Virus Eradication with Direct-Acting Antivirals in a Cohort of Treatment-Naïve Patients without History of Cardiovascular Disease.
J Clin Med
; 11(14)2022 Jul 13.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35887813
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) produces changes at multiple levels in host metabolism, especially in lipid profile and cardio-metabolic risk. It is unclear how HCV eradication by direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) modifies those changes.OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the impact of DAA treatment on different risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease.METHODS:
Prospective study with two-year follow-up. All patients treated with DAAs in the Liver Clinic of a tertiary hospital were included. Patients co-infected with HBV or HIV, with other causes of liver disease, on lipid-lowering treatment, pregnant, or with previous HCV treatment were excluded. The results were analyzed using linear mixed models.RESULTS:
167 patients (53% female, 9.6% cirrhosis) were included. Low plasma lipid levels were observed before initiating HCV eradication. During the first year after treatment with DAA, we observed a sustained increase in cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol (only in men), and LDL-cholesterol levels. An ameliorated glycemic control was also observed with a decrease in fasting insulin and reduced HOMA. Iron metabolism and coagulation function also improved with lower levels of serum ferritin and prothrombin activity; these biochemical changes resulted in a new diagnosis of hypercholesterolaemia in 17.4% of patients, requiring initiation of statins in 15%. Two non-fatal cardiovascular events were observed during the first 2 years of follow-up.CONCLUSIONS:
DAA treatments returned plasma lipids to the normal range without increasing either the occurrence of cardiovascular events or the consumption of lipid-lowering medication beyond what is normal in a sex- and age-matched population.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Etiology_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Language:
En
Journal:
J Clin Med
Year:
2022
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Spain