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Hepatitis C and Cholesterol Level
I thought I read some place (cannot find it now) that Hepatitis C treatment and clearing of the virus causes some people to have increased cholesterol and tryglyceride levels. Is this true?
The reason I ask is because I have had elevated cholesterol levels (ranging from 220 to 278 for several years). My HDL has always been excellent. My last cholesterol level before I started treatment was in July 2011 and it was 226. I was worried it would go up with successful treatment. I just had my cholesterol level checked on May 7, 2012 and now my cholesterol level, for the first time in years and years, is 192. My triglyceride levels have always been normal.
So, does chronic Hep C disease raise cholesterol levels?
Could my high cholesterol levels over the years be due to chronic Hep C disease?
Does successful Tx raise cholesterol levels (or lower them)?
Just for the record, I eat an extremely healthy diet and have done so for at least 40 years (and also as a kid). Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meat, fish, whole grains. No trans fats, no junk food, no fatty foods, very few sweets, no fast foods.
The reason I ask is because I have had elevated cholesterol levels (ranging from 220 to 278 for several years). My HDL has always been excellent. My last cholesterol level before I started treatment was in July 2011 and it was 226. I was worried it would go up with successful treatment. I just had my cholesterol level checked on May 7, 2012 and now my cholesterol level, for the first time in years and years, is 192. My triglyceride levels have always been normal.
So, does chronic Hep C disease raise cholesterol levels?
Could my high cholesterol levels over the years be due to chronic Hep C disease?
Does successful Tx raise cholesterol levels (or lower them)?
Just for the record, I eat an extremely healthy diet and have done so for at least 40 years (and also as a kid). Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meat, fish, whole grains. No trans fats, no junk food, no fatty foods, very few sweets, no fast foods.
Yes how it was for desert is exactly how it went for me too. And that is what I've read in here over and over the compromised liver can'at produce as much cholesterol so once you are SVR and it's not being attacked and is getting healthy the numbers go wonkers.
Or maybe we're just getting old ;)
Or maybe we're just getting old ;)
My understanding is that a compromised liver has a lowered ability to produce cholesterol sometimes resulting in 'false' good readings. My cholesterol readings (LDL, HDL, and total) were all great while I was infected for 30 years. Within 2 years of clearing, my total and LDL were still great but my HDL had dropped into the teens. Doc put me on a minimum dose of a generic statin and all the ratios came back into proper range.
Thanks! That must be the data I read before and could not find today.
Interestingly enough:
My cholesterol level went from 243 at baseline to 192 on May 7.
My LDL went from 165 at baseline to 128 on May 7.
My HDL went from 62 at baseline to 41 on May 7.
My Triglyceride went from 78 at baseline to 117 on May 7.
I know I should quit crunching the numbers but I cannot help but look at all data concerning what influences the likelihood of SVR.
Interestingly enough:
My cholesterol level went from 243 at baseline to 192 on May 7.
My LDL went from 165 at baseline to 128 on May 7.
My HDL went from 62 at baseline to 41 on May 7.
My Triglyceride went from 78 at baseline to 117 on May 7.
I know I should quit crunching the numbers but I cannot help but look at all data concerning what influences the likelihood of SVR.
Yes it is quite common for cholesterol and triglycerides to go up after finishing treatment.
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Interesting ,however is that patients that do have elevated LDL .have somewhat better response to tx. and it is synonymous with having the preferable CC allele
I don't believe I ever read anything that signifies the meaning of the LDL lowering from "being " on tx. though.
Will
A higher plasma level of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is an independent predictor of SVR to Peg-IFN plus RBV, both in HCV-monoinfected and in HIV/HCV- coinfected patients. Also, variations in 3’UTR of the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor (LDLR) gene are associated with plasma levels of LDL cholesterol. Accordingly, a SNP in 3’UTR of LDL receptor gene (rs14158) was found to predict SVR in HCV-monoinfected patients, but these results are contradictory.
IL28B genotype is also associated with plasma levels of LDL cholesterol.
The purposes of the present study were, on the one hand, to appraise the predictive value of variations in a SNP in 3’UTR of LDLR gene for SVR
http://www.retroconference.org/2011/PDFs/481.pdf
And this:
Hepatitis C associated hypolipidemia( low LDL ) has been demonstrated in studies from Europe and Africa. In two linked studies, we evaluated the relationship between hepatitis C infection and treatment with lipid levels in an American cohort and determined the frequency of clinically significant posttreatment hyperlipidemia. First, a case-control analysis of patients with and without hepatitis C was performed. The HCV Group consisted of 179 infected patients. The Uninfected Control Group consisted of 180 age-matched controls. Fasting cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein and triglycerides were compared. Next was a retrospective cohort study (Treated Hepatitis C Group) of 87 treated hepatitis C patients with lipid data before and after therapy was performed. In the case-control analysis, the HCV Group had significantly lower LDL and cholesterol than the Uninfected Control Group. In the retrospective cohort, patients in the Treated Hepatitis C Group who achieved viral clearance had increased LDL and cholesterol from baseline compared to patients without viral clearance. These results persisted when adjusted for age, sex, and genotype. 13% of patients with viral clearance had increased LDL and 33% experienced increases in cholesterol to levels warranting lipid lowering therapy. CONCLUSION: Hepatitis C is associated with decreased cholesterol and LDL levels. This hypolipidemia resolves with successful hepatitis C treatment but persists in nonresponders. A significant portion of successfully treated patients experience LDL and cholesterol rebound to levels associated with increased coronary disease risk. Lipids should be carefully monitored in persons receiving antiviral therapy.
See: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19787818?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum