Abstract:
Background: Type 2 diabetes comes with various complications and this may be
compounded by morbidities of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV)
infections. Aims: This study examined the prevalence of HBV and HCV infectionst among
type 2 diabetics as well as its associated factors. This randomized cross‑sectional study was
conducted at the Diabetic Clinic of the Central Regional Hospital, Cape Coast between
December 2012 and April 2013. Subjects and Methods: A well‑structured questionnaire
was used to recruit 110 type 2 diabetics. Venous blood samples were collected for the
estimation of blood glucose and to screen for HBV and HCV infections. Data analysis
was carried out using SPSS Version 17.0. Descriptive analysis was performed and results
expressed as means (SD) and n (%). P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Prevalence
of HBV in type 2 diabetics was 5.5% (6/110). No type 2 diabetic was positive for HCV.
The prevalence of HBV infection in the type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) participants
was higher (5.5% [6/110]) than that of HCV (0/110). A total of 69.1% (76/110) T2DM
patients had poor glycemic control. Mean waist and hip circumference was higher among
HBV‑negative T2DM participants (99.3; 106.9) than HBV‑positive participants (87.2;
101.8). Conclusions: The seroprevalence of HBV was higher than that of HCV in T2DM
patients. T2DM patients would require necessary preventive measures like prophylaxis, to
reduce the risk of HBV infection and its ramifications.
