The latest research by Yu Minglong (3rd from left), the dean and vice president of Sun Yat-sen University School of Medicine, found that for patients with diabetes and hepatitis C, continuous use of Metformin, a hypoglycemic drug, can significantly reduce the risk of liver cancer. (Provided by Sun Yat-sen University)
[Reporter Xu Lijuan/Kaohsiung Report]The prevalence of diabetes combined with hepatitis C in Taiwan is higher than that in the world. The latest research by the research team of Yu Minglong, dean and vice president of the National Sun Yat-sen University School of Medicine found that patients suffering from diabetes and hepatitis C at the same time are After antiviral treatment for hepatitis C, continuous administration of the hypoglycemic drug Metformin can significantly reduce the risk of liver cancer. This major discovery was published in the world’s top authoritative journal “Journal of Hepatology” (Journal of Hepatology, with an impact factor of 30.083), and was featured on the cover of the journal that month.
This study was led by Yu Minglong, together with teams from 23 hospitals including Zhonghe Memorial Hospital affiliated to Kaohsiung Medical University, Chiayi Christian Hospital, Tainan Chimei Hospital, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, and Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. The clinical database of 15,834 liver C patients treated with peginterferon in hepatobiliary and gastroenterological hospitals across the country, linked to the data of the national health insurance database.
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Among the 7,249 liver C patients who participated in the study, 781 (10%) were also suffering from diabetes, and 647 of them (84.8%) were taking Metformin, an old drug for lowering blood sugar. In the 5-year follow-up study, it was found that a total of 227 liver C patients were new cases of liver cancer. It is worth noting that, in terms of the 5-year cumulative incidence of liver cancer, “diabetic patients who did not take Metformin” was 10.9%, but The incidence rate of liver cancer in “diabetic patients taking Metformin” was only 2.6%, while it was 3% in those without diabetes.
Yu Minglong pointed out that the study found that although the new oral antiviral therapy for hepatitis C has excellent curative effect and greatly reduces the incidence of liver cancer in patients with liver C, liver cirrhosis is still the highest risk of liver cancer in patients with liver C, followed by diabetic patients without liver cancer. Those using Metformin, older, male and obese. In this study, a risk model was constructed based on patients with liver cirrhosis and diabetes who did not use Metformin, and a cross-comparison of the backgrounds of each group was performed to predict the risk of liver cancer in patients with liver C after receiving antiviral treatment. The study found that Metformin can be effective Reduce liver complications related to the recovery of liver C in diabetic patients.
The research team reminds that it is still unclear whether Metformin can reduce the risk of liver cancer after recovery from non-diabetic liver C disease, but this study proves that Metformin can reduce the risk of liver cancer after recovery from diabetes and liver C. The risk of liver cancer, so it is strongly recommended that this type of patients continue to use Metformin to stabilize blood sugar and reduce the possibility of liver cancer.
Yu Minglong further stated, “Even if the cure rate of liver C is as high as 95% at this stage, there are still 3% to 4% of cured cases of liver C who will still develop liver cancer in the future.” Past literature also shows that C People with liver disease are more likely to increase the risk of liver cancer. However, only 60% of diabetic patients in Taiwan receive liver C screening. It is estimated that nearly one million people with diabetes in the country do not know whether they have liver C.
In this regard, Sun Yat-sen University, Gao Rong, Gao Chang, Chiayi Christian Hospital, Tainan Chimei Hospital and other medical teams call on all adult diabetic patients to undergo liver C screening as early as possible in their lifetime to reduce the risk of liver cancer.
Hong Zhaohong, director of Kaohsiung Chang Gung Hospital, one of the members of the research team. (Provided by Sun Yat-sen University)
Chen Qiyi, director of Chiayi Christian Hospital, one of the members of the research team. (Provided by Sun Yat-sen University)
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