The relationship between exposure to hepatitis B virus and increased atherosclerosis-associated morbidity — a meta-analysis

Abstract

Background and aim: The relationship between exposure to hepatitis B virus (HBV) and atherosclerosis-associated disease morbidity has not been clearly elucidated. We performed a meta-analysis to explore whether exposure to HBV is a risk factor for atherosclerosis-associated diseases. Methods: We searched the PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Scopus databases for related studies. We then chose the eligible studies for meta-analysis and assessed quality assessment and risk of bias. Results: The meta-analysis of the included studies showed that exposure to HBV tends to increase atherosclerosis-associated disease morbidity, but this increase was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Hepatitis B virus may not be a risk factor for atherosclerosis-associated diseases, but further studies that employ more sensitive clinical parameters are needed to verify this result.