Metabolic multimorbidity and liver fibrosis among people with hepatitis B in Senegal.

OBJECTIVES

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the leading cause of liver fibrosis in West Africa. Metabolic comorbidities may accelerate liver disease among people with HBV (pwHBV). We evaluated the association between metabolic multimorbidity and liver fibrosis in pwHBV in Senegal.

DESIGN OR

METHODS

We included hepatitis B surface antigen-positive adults with a negative HIV test between 2019 and 2022. Metabolic multimorbidity was defined as the presence of at least two comorbidities, including obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia. Significant liver fibrosis was defined as a liver stiffness measurement ≥7.1 kPa using vibration-controlled transient elastography. We explored the association between metabolic multimorbidity and significant liver fibrosis using multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

Among 768 participants, the median age was 31 (25-38), and 360 (46.9%) were women. Metabolic multimorbidity was present in 58 (16.1%) women and 27 (6.6%) men. Significant liver fibrosis was diagnosed in 7 (8.2%) participants with and 83 (12.2%) without metabolic multimorbidity. Multivariable analysis showed no significant association between metabolic multimorbidity and fibrosis (adjusted odds ratio 1.24, 95% confidence interval 0.51-3.03).

CONCLUSION

Metabolic multimorbidity was more frequent in women than men, but was not associated with liver fibrosis in pwHBV in Senegal. Long-term data are needed to evaluate the impact of metabolic diseases on liver fibrosis among pwHBV in Africa.