Hepatitis C and Heart Disease

A recent study published in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal has found a link between Hepatitis C and increased cardiovascular disease rates. In general some infectious diseases have been known to induce heart disease in patients later in life, but this is the largest study around Hepatitis C. Aidsmap news online said, "However, it is biologically plausible that hepatitis C may increase the risk of disease such as heart attack and stoke as hepatitis steatosis (fatty liver), a common complication of hepatitis C infection, has been associated with increased levels of inflammation and metabolic syndrome." Interestingly enough the study showed evidence that the patients who developed cardiovascular disease after having Hepatitis C did not have the common causes of heart disease like: high blood pressure, high cholesterol and family history. This is why the researchers believe they need to further study the link between infectious diseases and heart disease to ascertain specifically why heart ailments develop.