title: Nutrition status of patients with chronic hepatitis B or C.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nutrition disorders in patients with chronic liver disease have become a recent concern because these disorders influence outcomes. We investigated patients' nutrition status, included consecutively in the last 2 years to the study, and related the results with the severity of liver disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 230 patients with hepatitis B (n = 80) or C (n = 150) were evaluated by the subjective global assessment (SGA) and body mass index (BMI). The risk of metabolic complications was assessed by waist circumference (WC) and the percentage of body fat (%BF). Alcohol abuse was defined as daily consumption >20 g and >30 g for women and men, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age was 54 years, with 52.6% women, 75% patients without cirrhosis, and 15% patients with cirrhosis. According to the SGA, 86.5% of patients were nourished, and 13.5% were malnourished. Malnutrition was associated with cirrhosis (prevalence ratio [PR], 1.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-1.4; P < .001), alcohol abuse, direct bilirubin >3.0 mg/dL, international normalized ratio >1.1, platelet <150 × 10(3)/mm(3), hemoglobin <12 g/dL, and serum albumin <3.5 g/dL (P < .05). According to the BMI, 43.9% of patients were eutrophic, 33.5% were overweight, 21.3% were obese, and 1.3% were underweight. Obese patients had a higher prevalence of steatosis than eutrophic (PR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.15-2.04; P = .003) and overweight (PR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.33-2.20; P < .001) patients. Overweight/obesity was associated with WC >94 cm (men) and >80 cm (women), %BF >25% (men) and >32% (women) (P < .01), triglyceride >150 mg/dL, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol <40 mg/dL, glucose >99 mg/dL, insulin >20 µU/mL, homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance >3.2, and thyroid-stimulating hormone >2.5 µU/mL (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overweight/obesity is prevalent among patients with hepatitis B and C and can contribute to the development of steatosis. Malnutrition is also observed and is related to the severity of liver disease.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Applied Health Sciences of the Adult nutripenelope@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Penélope Lacrísio Dos Reis
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Menta
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery.
authors.forename: Maria Isabel Toulson Davisson
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Correia
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine.
authors.forename: Paula Vieira Teixeira
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Vidigal
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Viral Hepatitis Center, Gastroenterology Unit, Clinical Hospital, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciana Diniz
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Viral Hepatitis Center, Gastroenterology Unit, Clinical Hospital, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rosângela
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Teixeira
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D015992:Body Mass Index; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D050177:Overweight / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides
keywords: fatty liver; hepatitis B; hepatitis C; liver cirrhosis; nutrition assessment; nutritional status; obesity