Metabolic Syndrome (MS) [glucose/diabetes] Is a Negative Predictor of Treatment Outcome in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C

Metabolic Syndrome (MS) [glucose/diabetes] Is a Negative Predictor of Treatment Outcome in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C: Results From the IDEAL Study - see attached full poster report for this interesting analysis

Reported by Jules Levin, EASL Apr 14-18 2010 Vienna Austria

M. S. Sulkowski et al.



“Patients with elevated glucose and HDL-C (18%; 557/3070) had a very low probability of SVR (OR = 1.97)”



Author Summary

• Baseline MS, particularly elevated glucose level (glucose intolerance), is a negative predictor of SVR in patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 infection receiving PEG-IFN alfa plus RBV therapy

• Low HDL-C was associated with improved SVR rate



Author Conclusions

• While MS is a predictor of response to PEG-IFN/RBV therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 infection, the current definition of MS may not present the ideal framework to investigate HCV treatment response because 3 components are strong independent “negative” predictors of SVR (elevated fasting glucose, hypertension, elevated triglycerides), whereas 1 component of MS (low HDL) is a strong “positive” predictor of SVR