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About 1 in 4 people with chronic hepatitis B (HBV) infection who reside in North America have metabolic syndrome, which was also independently associated with higher alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels over time, according to a new study published in Diabetes Care.
Metabolic syndrome is a risk factor for chronic liver disease progression, and aside from being directly associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome could influence outcomes in other chronic liver diseases.
In this study, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its association with ALT levels and fibrosis was examined in a large cohort of 777 North American individuals with chronic HBV infection. Median follow-up was 3.7 years, and within this group, 171 individuals (22%) had metabolic syndrome.