Hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection is associated with systemic inflammation and metabolic
complications that might predispose patients to atherosclerosis, including cerebrovascular
atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to assess cerebrovascular reactivity in
patients with chronic hepatitis C. Seventeen patients with chronic hepatitis C infection,
as well as 11 healthy blood donors in the control group, were assessed for cerebrovascular
reactivity according to the well-established breath-holding test that uses the transcranial
color Doppler for measurement of blood flow velocity. Results obtained during the
breath-holding revealed significantly lower average peak systolic (AvPS start, P =
0.018), end-diastolic (AvED start, P = 0.031) and mean velocity values at the very
beginning of the breath-holding procedure (AvmeanV start, P = 0.02), as well as a
lower mean peak systolic velocity at the end of the breath-holding test (AvPS max,
P = 0.02) in the hepatitis C group. Vascular reactivity values, calculated as the
breath-holding index, were also significantly lower (P = 0.045) in the hepatitis C
group. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest an association between chronic
HCV infection and altered cerebrovascular reactivity which may ultimately have an
unfavorable effect on cerebrovascular hemodynamics and lead to increased risk of cerebrovascular
diseases.