Brief Article
Copyright ©2011 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Hepatol. Apr 27, 2011; 3(4): 93-98
Published online Apr 27, 2011. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v3.i4.93
Asymptomatic primary biliary cirrhosis is not associated with increased frequency of cardiovascular disease
Iliana Doycheva, Chaoru Chen, Jen-Jung Pan, Cynthia Levy
Iliana Doycheva, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States
Chaoru Chen, Jen-Jung Pan, Cynthia Levy, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States
Author contributions: Doycheva I collected the data and wrote the discussion section; Chen C performed the statistical analyses; Pan JJ assisted Chen C with statistical analyses, prepared the tables and wrote the result section; and Levy C designed the study, reviewed the results and edited the final version of manuscript.
Correspondence to: Cynthia Levy, MD, Center for Liver Diseases, University of Miami, 1500 NW 12th Avenue, Suite 1101, Miami, FL 33136, United States. clevy@med.miami.edu
Telephone: +1-305-243-2330 Fax: +1-305-243-3877
Received: September 27, 2010
Revised: January 12, 2011
Accepted: March 19, 2011
Published online: April 27, 2011
Abstract

AIM: To estimate the prevalence of cardiovascular events in Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and to determine whether this risk is higher within specific subgroups of patients with PBC.

METHODS: We included 180 patients with PBC (cases) and 151 patients seen for HCV infection (controls). Medical records were reviewed and statistical analyses were performed as appropriate.

RESULTS: When compared to controls, PBC patients were older, leaner and had higher serum levels of total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein and low density cholesterol. There were more females in the PBC group (91.7% vs 43%, P < 0.001). More control subjects had smoked than the PBC patients (63.6% vs 35%, P < 0.001). The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease and stroke was similar between the two groups. Seven percent of controls and 10% of cases developed any type of cardiovascular disease (P = 0.3). Only 36.7% were asymptomatic at diagnosis. Three cardiovascular events were documented among asymptomatic patients (4.5%) and fifteen among symptomatic patients (13.2%; P = 0.06). Among PBC patients with fatigue, 10 (13.5%) had a cardiovascular event compared to 7 (6.7%) among patients without fatigue (P = 0.1).

CONCLUSION: Asymptomatic PBC patients do not have a greater frequency of cardiovascular disease; nor do patients suffering with fatigue.

Keywords: Hyperlipidemia; Cardiovascular disease; Asymptomatic primary biliary cirrhosis; Fatigue