Association Between Past Hepatitis B Infection and abdominal aorta calcification: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Abstract

Introduction: With mounting evidence, there is a postulation that Hepatitis B Infection may be a risk factor for atherosclerotic diseases. Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) has been found to be significantly associated with subclinical atherosclerotic diseases. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between Hepatitis B core antibody and abdominal aortic calcification. Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted during 2013–2014 were utilized to investigate the relationship between Hepatitis B core antibody and AAC. The study used dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to measure AAC and evaluated it using the Kauppila score system. The variable LBXHBC of the NHANES dataset was reviewed to identify patients with positive Hepatitis B core antibody. To assess the association between Hepatitis B core antibody and AAC, multivariate logistic regression mixed models and subgroup analyses were conducted. Results: The 2013–2014 data showed documentation of 288 patients with positive Hepatitis B core antibody. After adjusting for multiple variables, the multivariable odds ratios (95% CI) revealed that severe AAC was correlated with Hepatitis B infection (OR = 1.52, 95%CI [1 ~ 2.3]; p = 0.05), as opposed to the no Hepatitis B group. However, this association was not observed among individuals with mild AAC (OR = 1.22, 95%CI [0.9 ~ 1.65]; p = 0.205). Results were consistent in multiple subgroup and sensitivity analyses. Conclusions: Individuals who tested positive for Hepatitis B core antibody had a higher likelihood of severe AAC compared to those who tested negative, while no significant association was observed among individuals with mild AAC.