People with HIV and hepatitis C virus may reduce their risk of diabetes and possibly chronic kidney failure as well by curing HCV, Healio reports. These health benefits are in addition to a lowered risk of numerous liver- and AIDS-related health problems and death.

Publishing their findings in the journal Hepatology, researchers studied a group of 1,625 HIV/HCV-positive individuals who received interferon and ribavirin treatment for HIV between 2000 and 2008 and were followed through May 2014.

Thirty-six percent of the cohort achieved a sustained virologic response 12 weeks after completing therapy (SVR12, considered a cure). Additionally, 6.2 percent of the overall group developed cancer, 5.6 percent experienced cardiovascular health events, 5 percent experienced non-AIDS-related infections, 3.5 percent experienced bone-related health events and 2 percent experienced kidney-related health events.

The researchers found that curing hep C was associated with a 64 percent reduced risk of death, an 87 percent reduced risk of liver-related death, a 63 percent reduced risk of new AIDS-defining health events, a 90 percent reduced risk of decompensated cirrhosis, an 87 percent reduced risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, the most common form of liver cancer) and an 88 percent reduced risk of having a liver transplant.

Additionally, a cure was associated with a 43 percent reduced likelihood of diabetes as well as a 58 percent reduced risk of chronic kidney failure. However, the finding about kidney failure was not statistically significant, meaning it may have been driven by chance.

To read the Healio article, click here.

To read the study abstract, click here.