EFFICACY OF VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENTATION ALONG WITH STANDARD ANTI-VIRAL THERAPY IN PATIENTS OF CHRONIC HEPATITIS C

Abstract

Background: Chronic hepatitis C remains a major cause of liver-related morbidity worldwide. Despite high cure rates with direct-acting antiviral therapy, factors influencing sustained viral response continue to be explored.

Objective: To compare the frequency of sustained viral response of vitamin D supplementation versus control along with standard therapy in patients of chronic hepatitis C.

Methods: This non-randomized controlled trial was conducted at Medicine Department of Farooq Hospital Westwood Branch, Lahore/Akhtar Saeed Trust Teaching Hospital, Lahore. A total of 120 patients with chronic hepatitis C were enrolled and divided into two groups: a vitamin D supplementation group (n = 60) receiving standard antiviral therapy plus oral vitamin D, and a control group (n = 60) receiving antiviral therapy alone.

Results: Baseline characteristics were comparable between the two groups, including age (46.8 ± 11.2 vs 47.5 ± 10.9 years), body mass index (26.1 ± 3.4 vs 26.4 ± 3.6 kg/m²), and baseline serum vitamin D levels (17.2 ± 5.1 vs 18.0 ± 5.4 ng/ml). At 12 weeks, sustained viral response was achieved in 86.7% of patients in the vitamin D group compared to 76.7% in the control group. At 24 weeks, sustained viral response was significantly higher in the vitamin D group (83.3%) compared to the control group (68.3%) (p = 0.04). Improved response rates with vitamin D supplementation were observed across age groups, gender, comorbidity status, and Child-Pugh class A liver disease.

Conclusion: Vitamin D supplementation as an adjunct to standard antiviral therapy significantly improves sustained viral response in patients with chronic hepatitis C without compromising treatment adherence or safety.