As found out by a population-based study in Taiwan, people infected with hepatitis c virus have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Chong-Shan Wang from National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, and colleagues wrote in the American Journal of Epidemiology:

HBV plus HCV-coinfected and anti-HCV+ alone persons had nearly the same risk, which indicates that HCV infection increases the risk of diabetes but HBV infection does not. This finding is consistent with past studies showing that HCV infection is highly associated with diabetes."

The findings suggest that HCV-infected individuals should be screened for type 2 diabetes earlier than the 45 or older recommendation.

Read the full report.

[In Photo: Living with Hepatitis C via Amazon]