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Curing hepatitis C infection with direct-acting antiviral treatment improves diabetes control in people with more severe type 2 diabetes, a review of patients treated in the US Veterans Affairs health care system has found. The study is published in the journal Diabetes Care.
Hepatitis C infection greatly increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in people who are already at higher risk. One study found that in older people and those with higher body mass, hepatitis C infection increased the risk of diabetes eleven-fold.
Type 2 diabetes develops as a consequence of a loss of control of glucose levels due to insulin resistance. The body produces insulin to encourage the uptake of glucose as fuel for cells. Resistance to the effect of insulin can develop as a result of lack of exercise, a diet high in sugar and carbohydrates and obesity, leading to higher glucose levels and eventually to type 2 diabetes.
In type 2 diabetes, prolonged high levels of glucose in the blood can lead to damage to small blood vessels, kidney damage, nerve damage and blindness. Type 2 diabetes also increases the risk of heart disease.
The hepatitis C virus promotes insulin resistance through several pathways.
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