Case control study for the effect of functional food consumption on biomarkers of patients with viral hepatopathy (Hepatitis B and C) and metabolic syndrome

Introduction: The dissemination and adoption of healthy eating habits are crucial in promoting Public Health. Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death. Viral hepatitis causes a high morbidity burden and a high incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma.Objective: This case-control aims to investigate the impact of eating habits, especially functional food, on biomarkers of Metabolic Syndrome, Hepatitis B/C. The bibliographic lack of research on this matter was the impetus for this study.Methods: 90 (aged> 18 years) patients participated in the study, equally distributed in the three diseases and 90 healthy controls. The cardiovascular-hepatic biomarkers evaluated were: HbΑ1c, CHOL, TG, HDL, SGOT, SGPT, ΝΤ-proBNP, U, and CR.Results: The main groups of conventional and selected functional foods were recorded through their frequency of consumption and their effect on biomarkers (Statistically significant level, p-value <0.05). BNP was statistically significantly correlated (<300 pg./ml) with the consumption of wine, legumes, and honey, Urea with the consumption of fruits, Cr with the consumption of nuts and olive oil, and Cholesterol with the consumption of honey and herbs. Increased consumption of nuts was statistically significantly correlated with the improvement of BNP and U-values, vegetables with the improvement of SGPT, coffee fruits, and herbs with the improvement of SGOT values.Conclusion: Our results agree with the international references, where the beneficial effects of functional foods are mainly captured descriptively and not in absolute values of biomarkers, as we have tried to highlight in our case-report study. Although in a small sample, the results highlight the beneficial effect of functional foods on cardiovascular-hepatic biomarkers. More prospective studies are needed for clearer results.Keywords: Functional Food; Metabolic Syndrome; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis C; Biomarkers