Friday, October 13, 2017

TGIF! HCV-related diseases and Coverage from the International Conference on Viral Hepatitis (ICVH) 2017

TGIF! Welcome to a review of this week's news, research and updates around the web.

New Online - HCV-related diseases
In case you haven't heard, HCV Advocate has launched a series of patient-friendly articles about the Extrahepatic Manifestations of Hepatitis C, written by Alan Franciscus.

Provided below is the latest articles in the series, make sure not to miss new articles published later this month, sign up here to receive updates, follow HCV Advocate on Twitter or connect on Facebook. Find out what's new, here!

HCV Advocate Index - Extrahepatic Manifestations of Hepatitis C
Oct 11
Hepatitis C and Porphyria Cutanea Tarda (PCT)
Oct 10
The Hepatitis C Connection – Fibromyalgia
Oct 5
Diabetes
Oct 3
Mixed Cryoglobulinemias

Just So You Know
Research has demonstrated that two-thirds of individuals with HCV infection experienced extrahepatic manifestations over the course of their disease. The good news is treating HCV early, and curing the virus, is shown to "reduce symptoms and mortality from severe extrahepatic manifestations."

Recommended Reading
Extrahepatic manifestations of HCV & Treatment

On This Blog
A collection of current research articles on ailments related to HCV
Categorized article directory on the extrahepatic manifestations of hepatitis C.

Coverage from the International Conference on Viral Hepatitis (ICVH) 2017
October 09 - 10, 2017
Chicago, Illinois
Medscape Gastroenterology
Hep C Treatment Increasingly Feasible in Primary Care
Oct 12
CHICAGO — With highly effective treatments for hepatitis C becoming less expensive, it is no longer necessary for subspecialists to treat most patients with this ...
Begin here.....

Oct 11
Medscape Gastroenterology - Hepatitis C Cure 'Difficult to Implement'
Medscape - Hepatitis C Virus Containing the Threat: The New Regimens  
This week episode 4 was added to Medscape's HCV six part video series: Hepatitis C Virus: Containing the Threat
The New Regimens
Liver specialists find that HCV patients who have comorbid conditions and treatment-resistant disease may still be candidates for combination therapies. 
View here....

Research
October 11
MedPage Today - Sustained Response with HCV Combo Drug in chronic kidney disease (CKD)
Patients with both diseases had virologic response and no failure
MedPage Today reported on trial results from the phase III trial using Glecaprevir and Pibrentasvir (Mavyret) for 12 weeks in adults with chronic HCV genotype 1-6 and chronic renal impairment, published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Begin here...

On Twitter
Collaborating with others on Twitter, Henry E. Chang tweets everyday about viral hepatitis, pointing us to full text articles using an online sharing platform. Check out the following articles, shared by Mr. Chang this week.

Long-term follow-up of clinical trial patients treated for chronic HCV infection with DCV-based regimens
Daclatasvir has achieved high sustained virologic response (SVR) rates in diverse hepatitis C virus (HCV) populations. This study evaluated the long-term efficacy and safety of daclatasvir-based regimens administered during clinical studies.

Resistance characterization of LDV & SOF in HCV genotype 4
Here we characterize the resistance profile of ledipasvir (LDV) and velpatasvir (VEL)inpatients with GT4 HCV infection.

Burden of primary liver cancer & underlying etiologies from 1990 to 2015: Results from GBD 2015 study
What is the burden of liver cancer globally, what are the major risk factors for liver cancer across countries, regions, and at the global level and how did these change between 1990and 2015?

Statins & liver disease: Is it time to recommend statins to prevent liver disease progression?
There is now mounting observational evidence of a beneficial effect, a limited number of randomized controlled trials demonstrating benefit, and laboratory studies supporting biologic plausibility of hepatic protection.

This study aimed to inform Hepatitis C (HCV) treatment by (1) better understanding the nexus of factors physicians consider when making HCV treatment decisions; (2) investigating the comparative influence and importance of specific factors and the trade-offs implicated in the decision making process; and (3)examining how much thrombocytopenia impacts treatment decisions and how it impacts treatment

Follow or view current Tweets; HenryEChang

Oct 7
Of Interest - Generic DAAs
Journal of Virus Eradication 
Mass treatment with generic DAAs is a feasible and economical alternative route of accessing curative DAAs, where the high prices for branded alternatives prevent access to treatment.

October 05
FixHepC - Blog
A site to help patients access affordable generic hepatitis C treatment. 
Just out of embargo for AASLD 2017 is the rather innocuous sounding Abstract 1078 which says, in brief, that these generic DAAs are inarguably proven the same as the originator DAAs....

Updates On This Blog
The Liver Meeting® 2017

Recommended Reading
September 2017 Volume 7, Issue 3, Pages 253–261
Chronic Hepatitis C: Do Generics Work as Well as Branded Drugs?

Today's News
Oct 13
How hepatitis C wages guerrilla warfare
Kari Williamson
How hepatitis C converts innocent cells into virus factories
The Hepatitis C (HCV) virus is a sly enemy to have in one’s body. Not only does it manage to make itself invisible to the immune system by breaking down communication between the immune cells, it also builds secret virus “factories” that quickly go into mass production.

It takes one to three months from infection to disease, and in the worst case scenario can lead to liver failure and death over time.

After an intense hunt, NTNU researchers can now describe an important part of the disease’s guerrilla tactics: how hepatitis C converts innocent cells into outright virus factories
Continue to article...

Oct 13
Cost, fear of side effects key barriers to HCV treatment
Cost, insurance and apprehension of side effects were the leading barriers to hepatitis C treatment, according to results from a recent survey of individuals either cured or not cured of HCV.

Oct 13
Optimizing Drug Plasma Levels Predicts SVR in Hepatitis C Patients
Specialty Pharmacy Times
The largest prospective study of ribavirin steady-state plasma levels in hepatitis C (HCV) patients in the current era of direct acting antiviral (DAA) treatment ...

Oct 12
"Compelling need" for HIV prevention in people over 50
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Given the rising incidence of HIV infection in people over age 50, more-targeted testing, educational and preventive interventions are needed, researchers say.

Dr. Lara Tavoschi from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control told Reuters Health, "The steady increase in the number of new HIV diagnoses among people over the age of 50 shows that the HIV epidemic in Europe is evolving in new directions."

"This increase is potentially a result of a lack of awareness of HIV and how it is transmitted in this group," she said by email. "This also means that they may underestimate their own risk of infection."
To investigate, Dr. Tavoschi and colleagues compared European HIV surveillance data from 2004 through 2015 between people age 50 or older and those ages 15 to 49, stratifying by age, sex, migration status, transmission route and CD4-cell count.

More than 54,000 new HIV diagnoses were reported in older adults, according to the study published online September 26 in The Lancet HIV.
Article - http://www.chronicliverdisease.org/reuters/article.cfm?article=20171012Other263098634

Researchers: Hepatitis C virus control needs a public health approach
A public health approach is necessary to identify and treat hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected individuals and prevent new infections, according to a new study. “We believe that the success of public health interventions, such as those for tuberculosis, can be translated to HCV infection,” lead author Fabienne Laraque, MD, MPH, medical director of the New York City Department of Homeless Services/Department of Social Services, told Medical Economics.

Oct 12
USC team finds a potentially better way to treat liver cancer
Keck School of Medicine researchers may have discovered a new way to remove drug-resistant "seed cells" for liver cancer therapy.

Oct 11
Duration of Hepatitis C Virus Therapy
Shorter duration therapy reduces treatment costs and may also improve adherence. How short can therapy be and who would qualify?

Blog Updates Around The Web
Hep B Blog
October is Liver Cancer Awareness Month! What’s the Hep B Connection?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), liver cancer is the second most common cancer in the world, leading to 788,000 annual deaths worldwide.

Kevin MD
This is who’s to blame for the opioid crisis
It’s hard to imagine that law enforcement and the DEA were unable to recognize the difference between pill distributing centers and legitimate practices prescribing medications on a limited basis to individuals with documented needs. City, county and state governments gladly accepted the tax benefits, occupational license fees, and pharmaceutical license fees from these sham clinics while drug dealers drove in and out of our state to obtain prescription pain medications for sale in their hometowns. Of course, the blame for this was placed on the doctors and dentists.

HepatitisC.net
The War on Hep C is Led by Veterans
With an enemy like hepatitis C, there is a continuous uphill struggle. For those who have served in the military, your time has come. The Veterans Administration (VA) has begun to launch.

The Dark Side of Stigma with Hepatitis C (Part 3)
By now, you may have already begun to recognize the voices that blame you for living with hep C virus. You can spot the accusations in your head. By catching yourself while in the middle of a self-induced tongue lashing and calling BS, you are coming out of the dark side of stigma with hepatitis C.

Hep Blogs
Living Beyond Hepatitis C with Faith and Trust
Living beyond hepatitis C is the hope for every hep C patient. Faith and trust when you have hepatitis C is not always easy. Dealing with hep C diagnosis, searching for treatment and holding onto to hope for a new life free from hep C, every patient has walked this road.

Moving Right Along
It has been so long since I posted that I don’t know where to begin. Changes! A lot of changes happened in the last 12 months. It seems as if I am a totally different person than I was last September. But here I am in the middle of Now with the wisdom that comes from shifting and adjusting… and the joy. Always gratitude and joy.

LIFE BEYOND HEP C
10 Proactive Steps for your Hep C Battle Plan
Do you feel like you’re battling something bigger than you? Hepatitis C can feel like that. There is hope for stopping Hep C in its tracks. First and foremost, you have to develop a good Hep C battle plan.

HIV and ID Observations
What Should We Do About Persistent Low-level Viremia?
Oh my, so much to unwrap here! Because when it comes to persistent low-level viremia in treated HIV patients, there’s much agony, gnashing of teeth, and confusion.

Health News Review
Review of article published by Health Day: Hate UTIs? One Simple Step Can Cut the risk
Drink more water to reduce UTI risk, urge researchers who work for Evian's manufacturer
Our Review Summary Urinary tract infections, or UTIs, are a common problem among women, and this story looks at a possible preventative technique: drinking more water. A study conducted in Bulgaria tracked women over a year, half of whom significantly increased the amount of water they drank. The story was strong on many points, providing …" Drink more water to reduce UTI risk, urge researchers who work for Evian’s manufacturer"
Read the review -  https://www.healthnewsreview.org/review/drink-more-water-to-reduce-uti-risk-urge-researchers-who-work-for-evians-manufacturer/

In Case You Missed It
Published in Gastroenterology
Journal Scan / Research · October 11, 2017
Influence of Metabolic Risk Factors on Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Liver-Related Death in Men With Chronic Hepatitis B
This study examined the association between metabolic risk factors and hepatocellular carcinoma in Asian males 40 to 65 years old with chronic hepatitis B virus infection

Clinical Cure of Hepatitis C Virus Is Possible Even With Detectable Viremia After Treatment Completion
Published in Gastroenterology
Journal Scan / Research October 13, 2017
This small case series reported that 5 patients with a detectable hepatitis C virus level after completing treatment with direct-acting antivirals, 1 with detectable viral levels 4 weeks after completion of therapy, went on to have a sustained virologic response.

Healthy You
The Lancet Volume 390, No. 10104, p1716, 14 October 2017
The link between cancer and obesity
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new report on cancer and obesity last week, highlighting that cancers associated with overweight and obesity, including thyroid, liver, kidney, and ovarian cancer, constitute 40% of cancers diagnosed in the USA, with over 630 000 diagnoses in 2014 alone. The study looked at data from the United States Cancer Statistics for 2005-2014. Disparities between sexes in the rates of cancers associated with obesity are especially stark, with 55% of all cancers diagnosed in women being associated with overweight and obesity, compared with only 24% of cancers in men. Most of the disparity is due to endometrial, ovarian, and post-menopausal breast cancer, which together make up 42% of cases of obesity-related cancers. The report did not look at lifestyle factors, but the fact that women are less likely to use tobacco and alcohol makes the sharp burden for women-only overweight and obesity cancers especially confounding. Continue to Editorial @ Lancet ...... http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)32659-4/fulltext

CDC Report
October Audio and Teleconference Transcript: Obesity and Cancer
CDC Telebriefing: New Vital Signs Report – Why is the overall cancer rate declining, while cancer rates associated with overweight and obesity are on the rise?

Fructose: A Dietary Sugar in Crosstalk with Microbiota Contributing to the Development and Progression of Non-Alcoholic Liver Disease
Fructose is one of the key dietary catalysts in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD comprises a complex disease spectrum, including steatosis (fatty liver), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, hepatocyte injury, inflammation, and fibrosis. It is also the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome, which covers abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, glucose intolerance, or type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Helpful Links
Premier Hepatitis C Websites, Blogs and Support Forums

Thanks for stopping by, check back for updates.
Tina

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