Declining Healthcare Utilization with DAA Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis C | Health

MONDAY, Feb. 28, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Among patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, those with a sustained virologic response (SVR) to direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy see their health care measures reduced use compared to those who do not receive DAA treatment, according to a study published online February 11 in Clinical infectious diseases.

Stuart C. Gordon, MD, of Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, and colleagues compared rates of emergency room visits and hospitalizations between HCV patients who achieved SVR after DAA treatment and controls. matched who did not receive DAA treatment. A total of 3049 patient pairs were included in the analyses.

The researchers found no significant difference between cases and controls in the rate of all-cause emergency room visits. However, liver-related ED visits were significantly lower for cases than for controls. Overall rates of all-cause and liver-related hospitalizations were lower in cases than in controls. Among most DAA-SVR patient subgroups, all-cause hospitalizations were lower than controls, with the exception of patients aged 70 or older and black patients.

“The results of our study show that curing hepatitis C not only eliminates the virus, but also improves the overall health of patients,” Gordon said in a statement.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to pharmaceutical companies, some of which funded the study.

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