Treatment may help reduce disease burden from chronic hepatitis C infections
Direct-acting antivirals may be effective in reducing disease burden in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infections.
In a study published in eClinicalMedicine, investigators analyzed the outcomes of 11,725 patients with chronic HCV infections — 8,464 of whom had been treated with direct-acting antivirals and 3,261 of whom had not received treatment — between 2007 and 2022. Disability-adjusted life-years were then calculated using hepatitis C virus stages and fibrosis measures.
The investigators found that treatment with direct-acting antivirals was associated with a lower disability-adjusted life-year burden compared with no treatment. Further, the use of direct-acting antivirals was linked to a lower risk of fibrosis, liver stiffness, hepatocellular carcinoma, liver decompensation and mortality. The greatest benefit was found to be in patients aged 40 to 60 years.
The investigators concluded that treatment with direct-acting antivirals led to improvements in liver-related outcomes in this patient population. Further studies are needed to better understand how direct-acting antivirals can reduce the burden of chronic hepatitis C virus infections.
Read more: eClinicalMedicine
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