Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Sep;3(3):186-91.
doi: 10.1016/j.jceh.2013.05.004. Epub 2013 Jun 11.

Higher Prevalence and More Severe Coronary Artery Disease in Hepatitis C Virus-infected Patients: A Case Control Study

Sanjaya K Satapathy  1 , Yun Ju Kim  2 , Ashish Kataria  2 , Arash Shifteh  2 , Rohan Bhansali  3 , Maurice A Cerulli  1 , David Bernstein  1
Affiliations

Higher Prevalence and More Severe Coronary Artery Disease in Hepatitis C Virus-infected Patients: A Case Control Study

Sanjaya K Satapathy et al. J Clin Exp Hepatol. 2013 Sep.

Abstract

Background: An association of Coronary artery disease (CAD) with hepatitis C (HCV) has been suggested, but definitive data are still lacking.

Aim: Our study sought to estimate the prevalence and severity of CAD in HCV patients compared to with age-, sex-, and race-matched controls without HCV infection.

Subjects and methods: 63 HCV-infected patients were compared with 63 age, race, and sex-matched controls without HCV infection undergoing coronary angiography for evaluation of CAD. CAD was defined as more than a 50% blockage in any of the proximal coronary arteries on angiogram. The severity of the stenosis was defined by the modified Reardon severity scoring system: <50% stenosis of the luminal diameter, 1 point; 50-74%, 2 points; 75-99%, 3 points; 100% or total obstruction, 4 points. The points for each lesion in the proximal coronary circulation were summed to give the score for severity.

Results: A significantly higher prevalence of CAD was noted in the HCV population (69.8% vs. 47.6%, = 0.01). The combined Reardon's severity score in the HCV group was significantly higher compared to the controls (6.26 ± 5.39 vs. 2.6 ± 3.03, P < 0.0005). Additionally, significant multivessel CAD (>50% stenosis and ≥2 vessels involved) was also noted significantly more commonly in the HCV group compared to controls (57.1% vs. 15.9%, P < 0.0005).

Conclusion: In this retrospective study the prevalence and severity of CAD was higher in HCV patients who were evaluated for CAD by angiogram compared with matched non-HCV patients. HCV-positive status is potentially a risk factor for CAD.

Keywords: ACE, angiotensin converting enzyme; CAD, coronary artery disease; DM, diabetes mellitus; HCV, hepatitis C virus; HDL, high density lipoprotein; IR, insulin resistance; IVDU, intravenous drug use; LDL, low density lipoprotein; coronary artery disease; hepatitis C; prevalence.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The figure depicts the proximal segments of the coronary circulation that was used in assessing the score for severity of coronary atherosclerosis (Readorn's score). LMCA, left main coronary artery; LAD, left anterior descending; CFX, circumflex; RCA, right coronary artery; PDA, posterior descending artery. Lesions in the darkened portions were not scored.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The figure depicts the comparative frequency of involvement coronary vessels in the HCV group and the control group.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Vassalle C., Masini S., Bianchi F., Zucchelli G.C. Evidence for association between hepatitis C virus seropositivity and coronary artery disease. Heart. 2004;90:565–566. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Alyan O., Kacmaz F., Ozdemir O. Hepatitis C infection is associated with increased coronary artery atherosclerosis defined by modified Reardon severity score system. Circ J. 2008;72:1960–1965. - PubMed
    1. Butt A.A., Xiaoqiang W., Budoff M., Leaf D., Kuller L.H., Justice A.C. Hepatitis C virus infection and the risk of coronary disease. Clin Infect Dis. 2009;15(49):225–232. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Arcari C.M., Nelson K.E., Netski D.M., Nieto F.J., Gaydos C.A. No association between hepatitis C virus seropositivity and acute myocardial infarction. Clin Infect Dis. 2006;43:e53–e56. - PubMed
    1. Volzke H., Schwahn C., Wolff B. Hepatitis B and C virus infection and the risk of atherosclerosis in a general population. Atherosclerosis. 2004;174:99–103. - PubMed