Relationship between Hepatitis C and Bone Mineral Density

Abstract

hronic hepatitis C (CHC) represents a systemic disease with multiple extrahepatic complications. In Egypt, the prevalence rate of HCV infected individuals was 15% of the population in 2013 which is considered as one of the highest prevalence rates of HCV worldwide. Reduced bone mineral density (BMD), known as hepatic osteodystrophy (HOD), represents a well known extrahepatic complication in chronic liver diseases (CLD). Hepatic osteodystrophy (HOD) generally refers to presence of bone disease in patients who have CLD. It may lead to fractures and immobilization that adversely affects both the quality of life and the long-term prognosis of patients with CLD. The aim of this study was to assess BMD in non-cirrhotic patients with chronic HCV infection, in order to determine the relation between osteoporosis and HCV infection. This cross sectional study included 40 adult patients (34 males and 6 females) with mean of age 42.18±3.64 years, attending Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine Departments of Police Hospitals and suffering from chronic hepatitis C. virus (HCV) infection with disease duration more than six months.. Twenty normal well matched normal subjects regarding age and sex were included as control group.