PEOPLE cured of hepatitis C are still up to 14 times more likely to die than the general population, Glasgow researchers have discovered.
The experts, from Glasgow Caledonian University, are calling for extra support for survivors and claim “more must be done to save lives”
Hepatitis C is a virus which can infect the liver and, if left untreated, can cause serious and potentially life-threatening damage over many years
The largest study of its kind, funded by the Medical Research Foundation and published in the prestigious British Medical Journal (BMJ), found that deaths were three to 14 times higher in patients cured of hepatitis C, depending on liver disease stage.
Based on data from more than 20,000 patients with a hepatitis C cure, the study took two years to complete and involved 31 experts from around the world.
New medications called direct acting antivirals (DAA) were developed in 2011 and now more than 95% of patients treated with DAAs achieve a ‘virological cure’ and have a significantly lower risk of death than untreated patients.
However, Glasgow Caledonian researchers leading the study have raised concerns that antiviral treatment for hepatitis C is not enough to save lives and more must be done to support patients post-cure.
The study’s principal investigator Dr Hamish Innes, Senior Research Fellow in the University’s School of Health and Life Sciences’ Research Centre for Health (ReaCH), said: “Our research shows that cured patients continue to face very high mortality rates after achieving a hepatitis C cure, driven by liver and drug-related causes.
“While antiviral therapies are crucial, it is clear they are not a panacea. The UK and other countries are on course to eliminate hepatitis C, but after it is eliminated, we will still be left with high mortality rates.”
He added: “The question is - what can we do to pre-empt this? Hepatitis C treatment is an opportune time to address competing health problems, including alcohol and drug use, and to establish life-saving screening for liver cancer.
“We should be doing much more to support patients after cure. Otherwise, when we look back in years to come, we may see hepatitis C elimination not only as a great achievement, but as a great missed opportunity too.”
Co-lead authors in the research were biostatisticians Dr Victoria Hamill, from Glasgow Caledonian, and Dr Stanley Wong, from the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control in Canada, with his colleague Dr Naveed Janjua also playing a key role.
Rachel Halford, CEO of The Hepatitis C Trust, said: “This important research demonstrates the need for meaningful follow-up and support for patients who have had hepatitis C.
“The high number of liver cancer deaths found in this study highlights the importance of diagnosing hepatitis C as early as possible to treat the virus before it causes irreversible damage to the liver. Adherence to treatment and follow-up to make sure the virus has been cleared are crucial.”
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here