Hepatitis C Treatment Improves Diabetes Control

People with the 2 diabetes type have their diabetes control improved in case of curing Hepatitis C. US Veterans Affair found a correlation in hepatitis C curing with antiviral treatment and diabetes control improvement and have published their observations in Diabetes Care journal..

People with hepatitis C virus have an increased risk of diabetes type 2 development, especially older people and people with overweight. 2 type of diabetes usually develops as  as a consequence of a loss of control of glucose levels due to insulin resistance. In type 2 diabetes, prolonged high levels of glucose in the blood can lead to damage to small blood vessels, kidney damage, nerve damage, blindness, heart disease.

People cured of hepatitis C by interferon-based treatment tend to have insulin resistance declines. Researchers from Veterans Affairs clinics in Portland and Seattle looked what happened to diabetes control after hepatitis C treatment by direct acting antiviral drugs? The scientists observed everyone who underwent that treatment for nearly two years in the US Veterans Affairs healthcare system.

The changes in the measure of glucose concentrations in plasma were compared, 12 months before and 12 months after treatment, as well as the changes in antidiabetic medication over the same period. The authors say that the substantial improvement in glycemic control observed in people who were cured of hepatitis C justifies consideration of antiviral treatment for everyone with hepatitis C who has type 2 diabetes. Experts note that longer-term follow-up to check whether these improvements are sustained is necessary.