Background and study aim: Egypt has the highest prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the world and is facing an epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The objective of this study was to assess the frequency of prediabetes in patients with chronic HCV infection.
Subjects and Methods: A cross- sectional study was performed on Session [CurrentTestPartID] HCV patients. Twenty healthy persons were taken as controls. Full history taking, clinical examination, routine laboratory and radiological investigations were done Body mass index (BMI), Waist Hip ratio, serum fasting glucose and fasting insulin were determined. IR was calculated by the Homeostasis Model for Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), where values less than 2 has been considered completely normal and higher than 2 as a prediabetic state.
Results: Serum fasting glucose, fasting insulin and HOMA-IR levels were significantly higher among HCV group compared with control group. The frequency of prediabetic (HOMA-IR values >2) among non-diabetic chronic HCV patients is 63.33%.
Conclusion: Chronic HCV patients should be screened regularly for insulin resistance to avoid the double burden of diabetes mellitus and HCV.