People with genotype 3 of hepatitis C virus (HCV) have a higher risk of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer when compared with those who have genotype 1. Publishing their findings in Hepatology, researchers combed the Veterans Affairs HCV Clinical Case Registry records for people with active hep C infection between 2000 and 2009 and compared how hep C genotype was related to the risk of cirrhosis of the liver and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, the most common form of liver cancer).

There were 110,484 people with hep C, 88,348 (79.9 percent) of whom had genotype 1 and 8,337 (7.5 percent) of whom had genotype 3. After adjusting for various factors, the researchers found that those with genotype 3 had an 80 percent increased risk of HCC and a 31 percent increased risk of cirrhosis when compared with those who had genotype 1. These increased risks were independent of age, diabetes status, body mass index or the use of hep C treatment.

To read the study abstract, click here.