Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

BACKGROUND: Chronic hepatitis B virus (CHB) infection is one of the most common liver infections worldwide. Approximately 240 million patients are diagnosed with CHB. The objective of this meta-analysis was to identify the effect of CHB on the affected patients' health-related quality of life and compare with the control group. METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted through PubMed, Medline, ProQuest, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Clinicaltrials.gov, and Web of Science databases up to Jul 2022. RESULTS: Five primary observational studies using SF-36 and WHOQOL surveys with 1135 participants (646 with CHB and 489 healthy individuals) included in the meta-analysis. We evaluated the scores of physical and mental component summaries. HRQoL was comparable in both groups. The disease's impact appears to slightly affect the mental component summary than the physical component summary. CONCLUSION: The HRQoL in CHB patients is mainly reflected in the impairment of the mental aspect. It is vital to focus on optimally managing care, family and social support, stress management.