Association of chronic hepatitis B infection with metabolic syndrome and its components: Meta-analysis of observational studies

Abstract

Introduction: Observational studies evaluating the association between chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) have yielded inconclusive results.

Objective: The current meta-analysis was conducted to identify whether CHB infection plays a role in the risk of MetS and its components.

Methods: The electronic search of MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and EMBASE databases was systematically performed from their inception until February 2017 to identify all eligible studies. The most adjusted risk estimates and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations of chronic hepatitis B with MetS and its components were collected and analyzed.

Results: A total of 13 studies, with a total sample size of 138,994,999 subjects and 35,481,231 individuals with MetS were included in this Meta-analysis. The results of pooled analysis revealed that CHB infection is related to reduced risk of MetS (OR=0.83, 95%CI=0.71-0.79, random effects), with evidence of significant heterogeneity (I2=89%, P<0.001). This association was an age, gender, and ethnicity-dependent relationship. Moreover, CHB was associated with reduced risk of elevated blood pressure, reduced HDL-cholesterol, increased fasting glucose, and, most strongly with increased triglycerides in some subgroups. The sensitivity analyses confirmed the stability of the results.

Conclusions: This meta-analysis suggests that CHB is associated with decreased risk of MetS and some of its single components.

Keywords: HBs Ag; Hepatitis B; Meta-analysis; Metabolic syndrome.