Research validates the current recommendation that screening for hepatitis C, particularly among high-risk groups, is vital.
April 25, 2015, Vienna, Austria: Study results presented today at The
International Liver Congress™ 2015 show that the occurrence of advanced
liver fibrosis is similar for patients infected with the hepatitis C
virus (HCV), whether or not they have been diagnosed.
Most individuals with HCV remain asymptomatic, which makes the
diagnosis difficult. The study authors used the hypothesis that
individuals whose HCV is not diagnosed are less likely to have advanced
fibrosis than those who have been diagnosed. They then compared liver
fibrosis between respondents of the National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey (NHANES) in the USA, in patients with diagnosed and
undiagnosed HCV infection.
Of the respondents with known HCV infection, the proportion with a
high, intermediate and low probability of advanced fibrosis was 14.5%,
40.3%, 45.2%, respectively; in those with undiagnosed HCV the results
were 19.1%, 30.9%, 50.0%, respectively.
The study highlights that even if people are unaware they are
infected with HCV, the virus affects their liver in the same way,
resulting in advanced fibrosis. These results validate the current
recommendation that screening for HCV, particularly among high-risk
groups, is vital.
Read complete press release here.... Labels: Disease Progression, EASL 2015, screening recommendations