Prevalence and predictors of obesity among individuals with positive hepatitis C antibody in a tertiary referral clinic.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of obesity and investigate factors associated with obesity in a hepatitis C antibody positive clinic population.


METHODS
We reviewed 3505 patient records (1990-2006) from a liver clinic in Toronto. We used regression analysis to explore factors associated with obesity. We compared the prevalence of obesity among propensity matched patients by hepatitis C ribonucleic acid status.


RESULTS
Patients (1118) met inclusion criteria. The prevalence of obesity in this clinic population was 28.8%. In multiple regression analyses, older age (odds ratio 1.02; 95% confidence interval 1.00-1.04) and a positive hepatitis C ribonucleic acid test (odds ratio 1.80; 95% confidence interval 1.11-2.92) were independently associated with obesity. In the analysis comparing 112 propensity matched pairs, the prevalence of obesity was significantly higher among hepatitis C ribonucleic acid positive patients than in matched patients who tested negative (32.1% vs. 18.8%; p=0.02). Supplemental analysis by excluding patients with probable fatty liver disease strengthened the association between hepatitis C viremia and obesity.


CONCLUSIONS
Hepatitis C viremia may be associated with an increased prevalence of obesity observed in a tertiary referral clinic for hepatitis C.
Chen
Wendong
W
Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ont, Canada M5T 2S8.
Wong
Terence
T
Tomlinson
George
G
Krahn
Murray
M
Heathcote
E Jenny
EJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral