In addition, selleckbio our cohort did not include patients with HCV-infection who received antiviral treatment

without resorting to biopsy or who were never treated, which may introduce a selection bias. Finally, observational variations among pathologists in histological evaluation should be taken into account when interpreting the present results and further applying them in clinical practice. In conclusion, advanced age (≥50 years), obesity and serum ALT levels >20 IU/L are closely associated with the development of severe hepatic fibrosis in Korean patients with chronic HCV infection. These findings could facilitate clinical decision-making in the management of patients with HCV-infection. Supplementary Material Author’s manuscript: Click here to view.(1.6M, pdf) Reviewer comments: Click here to view.(165K, pdf) Acknowledgments This study was supported by an Inha University Research Grant. Footnotes Contributors:

Y-JJ and JHS were responsible for the concept and design of the study, the acquisition, analysis and interpretation of the data, and drafting of the manuscript. GAK, EY, KMK, Y-SL and HCL helped with the acquisition, analysis, interpretation of the data and critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content. Funding: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors. Competing interests: None. Provenance and peer review: Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed. Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic, heterogeneous, progressive metabolic

disease that is characterised by insulin resistance. The relevance of this condition lies in its high prevalence and incidence, the individual burden of disease in patients due to macrovascular and microvascular complications, and the associated costs to the healthcare system.1 Brefeldin_A In women with diabetes, life expectancy was found to be 5.8 years shorter than in women without diabetes, irrespective of income.2 The prevalence of diabetes has increased worldwide, reaching epidemic proportions in recent years, as a result of the ageing population and obesity.3–5 It is estimated that in 2011, 8.6% of individuals in Central and South America had diabetes, and predictions suggest that this percentage will reach 10.1% by 2030. In Brazil, the prevalence of diabetes is 13.5% in individuals aged 30–79 years6 and 18.7% in women aged above 60 years.7 Hospitalisations due to diabetes mellitus account for 9% of hospital spending within the Brazilian National Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde—SUS).