Objective: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) requires long-term treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs). The goal of the present study was to evaluate the effects of long-term treatment with NAs on body composition in men with CHB.
Method: We performed a cross-sectional study of men infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) who have never been on NAs with high HBV-DNA (naïve group; n = 30), those on NAs for 7 y with virologic suppression (NA-treated group; n = 50), and healthy men (control group; n = 30) matched by age and body mass index (BMI) to evaluate whether body composition differed. Body composition was assessed by multiple-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis. All patients and healthy controls underwent anthropometric measures, dietary intake, and physical activity level survey.
Results: Body fat mass (BFM) and visceral fat area (VFA) were significantly lower in HBV-infected men naïve to NAs than in controls (P < 0.05). With virology suppression after treatment with NAs, BFM, VFA, and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were significantly increased in the NA-treated group compared with the naïve group (P < 0.05). Although there were no significant differences in BFM, VFA, and WHR between NA-treated men and controls (P > 0.05), WHR in the NA-treated group was 0.94 ± 0.06, indicating central obesity. Liver function, liver stiffness measurement, dietary intake, and physical activity level were the same between NA-treated and naïve men with CHB.
Conclusions: BFM and VFA is elevated in CHB men on NAs with virologic suppression compared with age and BMI-matched NA-naïve CHB men, which suggests that NAs may increase BFM and VFA of CHB men by virologic suppression. Further study is needed to clarify the adverse effects related to metabolic complications of lipid metabolism due to NA therapy.
Keywords: Adefovir dipivoxil; Body composition; Entecavir; Hepatitis B; Multiple-frequency bioelectrical impedance.
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