Insulin Resistance and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Development in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients Under Antiviral Therapy

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a significant concern in patients with liver cirrhosis due to chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, even among those who achieve a virological response with antiviral therapy. This study aimed to evaluate whether insulin resistance (IR), assessed using the Homeostatic Model Assessment 2 for Insulin Resistance (HOMA2-IR) index, can serve as a surrogate marker for stratifying HCC risk in this population.