Insulin Resistance Associated With Chronic Hepatitis C (CHC) and the Effect of Antiviral Therapy
Status:
Unknown status
Trial end date:
1969-12-31
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The literature suggests that there may be an association between hepatitis C and type 2
diabetes mellitus independent of the presence of cirrhosis, the likely mechanism for which is
insulin resistance. The prevalence of insulin resistance in patients with hepatitis C is
unknown. Furthermore, there are no studies that indicate an increased prevalence of insulin
resistance in patients with hepatitis C compared to other etiologies of liver disease. The
role that hepatitis C may have in the development of insulin resistance is unclear. The
effect of antiviral therapy for hepatitis C virus on insulin resistance has not been
addressed. The long-term consequence of insulin resistance is type 2 diabetes mellitus. There
is significant morbidity and mortality from type 2 diabetes mellitus in the general
population, and similar complications would be expected in patients with hepatitis C and
insulin resistance particularly if they develop type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Our hypothesis: The prevalence of insulin resistance is increased in patients with chronic
hepatitis C compared to chronic hepatitis B. Secondarily, insulin resistance when present in
patients with chronic hepatitis C improves with successful antiviral therapy.
This study has two phases. The first phase of our study will be to estimate the prevalence of
insulin resistance in individuals with chronic hepatitis C without cirrhosis compared to
patients with chronic hepatitis B without cirrhosis. The second phase of the study will be
restricted to those patients with hepatitis C found to be insulin resistant from phase 1, in
the absence of known risk factors for insulin resistance (cirrhosis, diabetes). The effect on
insulin resistance of anti-viral therapy to eradicate hepatitis C will be assessed.