Effects of Interferon-Alpha Treatment on the Incidence of Hyperglycemia in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

There is a significant association between effects of interferon-alpha treatment and the risk of developing hyperglycemia in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis on the basis of published observational studies was to estimate risk of hyperglycemia in chronic HCV patients who had acquired sustained virological responses (SVR) compared to those without SVR.We identified eligible studies by searching the relevant databases, including PubMed, Embase, and Google, for papers published between January 1990 and April 2011. The selection of eligible papers was carried out using a scoring system based on guidelines and inclusion criteria that were established before the articles were identified. Heterogeneity across studies was determined and the meta-analysis was performed following standard guidelines.