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Objective: To revise the importance of insulin resistance in the development of chronic hepatitis C and its interference in the response to the antiviral treatment of these patients., Data Source: Bibliographic revision of published papers in the MEDLINE and the authors data., Data Synthesis: In the last years several published papers have demonstrated an important relationship between insulin resistance and chronic hepatitis C. Increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, the development of hepatic steatosis (specially in non-3 genotype), a more rapid progression of hepatic disease and reduction in the sustained virological response to treatment with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin have been associated with insulin resistance in patients infected with HCV. The mechanism implied in the insulin resistance is the enhanced production of tumor necrosis factor by the HCV core. Tumor necrosis factor affects insulin receptor substrate phosphorylation, resulting in decreased glucose uptake and compensatory hyperinsulinemia. Increased liver iron accumulation and modification in the levels of adipocytokinemia can have an additional effect on insulin sensitivity in chronic C hepatitis., Conclusions: Diagnosing and treating insulin resistance in patients with chronic hepatitis C could not only avoid complications but also prevent disease progression and increased the sustained virological rate to treatment with pegylated interferon plus ribavarin.

The purpose of this paper was to investigate associations between the centripetal distribution of the body fat and serum lipid-lipoproteins, blood pressure and the index Homa-IR of insulin resistance, adjusting for indicators of overweight and cardiorespiratory fitness. Eighty-nine voluntaries were analyzed (44 men and 45 women). The centripetal distribution of the body fat was analyzed through waist circumference (CC) and the overweight by the body mass index (BMI). The cardiorespiratory fitness was followed by the estimate VO(2)max by test of walking. After adjusted for BMI values were found significant coefficient of correlation between CC and levels of blood pressure and ApoB in men, and between CC and index Homa-IR and triglycerides in women. After adjusted for VO(2)max values were verified significant correlations between CC and ApoB and index Homa-IR in men, and between CC and index Homa-IR in women. In conclusion, depending on the sex, the quantity and distribution of the body fat can present different actions in the insulin resistance and associated dysfunctions. The cardiorespiratory fitness per se seems not to contribute on the minimization of the association between the centripetal distribution of the body fat and the index Homa-IR; but presents a considerable impact on the association between the centripetal distribution of the body fat and the lipid metabolism and the levels of blood pressure, mainly in men.