Friday, December 22, 2017

Blog Updates & Reports: Chronic Illness and Expectations - Hepatitis B Experimental Treatments - Treatment for acute HCV infection

2017 December: Blog Updates & Reports
For your reading pleasure, check out a few blog updates and reports released this week on the topic of viral hepatitis.

Blog Updates
A number of modeling experts the agency works with are predicting that this year’s flu season will peak around the end of this month, Dr. Daniel Jernigan, head of the agency’s influenza division, told STAT. That means lots of people will be sick over the holidays; lots already are. And the multi-generational family gatherings that are part and parcel of the holidays will fuel the spread of the nasty virus.

It’s Flu Season! Did you get your shot?
Flu season is upon us! It usually ranges from the winter into early spring. It’s important that you get your flu shot, especially if you or a family member has a chronic disease such as hepatitis B.

The Latest Issue: Weekly Bull
Did you know that there are now 8 genotypes and 84 subtypes of HCV, all of which respond to Vosevi? Also in the news, Telemedicine, transplanting infected livers, and treating seniors.

INHSU 2017 Recap
At the International Symposium on Hepatitis Care in Substance Users held in New Jersey in September 2017, Dr. Jason Grebely provided an excellent debrief summarizing the main themes of the conference which we will try to summarize in this blog post.

Top 10 HIV and hepatitis C stories of 2017
Negotiations with Canada’s provincial and territorial governments this year brought down the price of new and effective hepatitis C drugs, making it possible to end the practice of “rationing” treatment to those with severe liver damage.

2017 Top Hepatitis Treatment Stories
Hepatitis treatment news stories with the most views this year over at Hep blogs.

Investment in hep C treatment programs needed to support elimination goal
Hepatitis Australia is urging government to invest in programs designed to increase the uptake of PBS-listed direct acting antivirals that cure hepatitis C.

Another Inspiring Story from Texas
By Greg Jefferys
Every story is precious and every person feels such relief and joy at having cleared this wicked disease.

Hepatitis C Treatment: What does it really cost?
By Greg Jefferys
I received a press release from MSF saying they had access to Hepatitis C treatment for the price of US$120 for a 12 week treatment.

How Hepatitis C Damages Your Health
By Greg Jefferys
A closer look at how HCV damages the body.

What I Don’t Want for Christmas: Hepatitis A
By Lucinda K. Porter, RN
Hepatitis A outbreaks are occurring all over the world, including in the United States. However, hepatitis A can be easily prevented.

Weekly Special: Harm Reduction – Alcohol
Alcohol is one of the most addictive and destructive substances. Our fact sheet discusses how to apply harm reduction strategies to alcohol use.

Celebrating the Holidays with Hepatitis B
The holidays are a joyous time as family and friends gather for parties, dinners and get-togethers. However, they can also be a difficult, stressful time on so many levels, and especially for those who might not yet have disclosed their hepatitis B to loved ones

Facing Changes During the Holidays
By Karen Hoyt - December 21, 2017
With each season of life, there are bound to be changes. Some of them are felt more during the holidays. When we’re weighed down with health decisions from a sick liver, we...

By Carleen McGuffey - December 20, 2017
When I first found out I had hepatitis C I only told James, my husband of 20 years. He has been and currently is an excellent support, caretaker, strength, and provider throughout...

By Kimberly Morgan Bossley - December 19, 2017
My Grateful Heart A grateful heart does not mean it comes from a perfect life, great health, or monitory riches. A grateful heart is one that has fought through the pits of...

Preventing overdose deaths is not one-size-fits-all
December 22, 2017,
Scott Weiner, MD, Contributor
By now, we all know that the number of opioid-related deaths in the United States has reached epidemic proportions. Despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declaring an epidemic in 2011, the death rate has continued to increase every year, with more than 30,000 deaths per year now attributed to opioids.

Related: Opioid crisis trims U.S. life expectancy, boosts hepatitis C: CDC

Boston-area paramedics on front lines of U.S. opioid crisis
The paramedics find them everywhere - slumped over car steering wheels, barely breathing in doughnut shop bathrooms or dead in derelict apartments and expensive mansions.

The Weekly Special is our Harm Reduction Fact Sheet – Opioids. Learn about opioids–the effects they have on the body, the side effects and why they are addictive.

Answer these 5 questions to help make your New Year’s resolutions stick
Marcelo Campos, MD
t’s that time of the year again when we start thinking about the (in)famous New Year’s resolutions. Change can be a frustrating experience for many. So, I decided to investigate what may increase your chances of success.

When to get tested for hepatitis C after exposure
Learn what the window period is for hepatitis C infection, and when someone should consider testing. We look at available tests and when symptoms appear.

A healthy liver is crucial for maintaining a person's overall health, but expensive cleanses or diets are just not necessary. In some cases, they may even be dangerous. A healthy lifestyle, balanced diet, and regular consultations with a doctor are far more valuable to the health of the liver than any fad diet or cleanse. Liver cleanses offer no proven benefits. To protect liver health, people can adopt a more comprehensive, long-term health strategy.

In The Journals
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) mainly replicates in the cytoplasm, where it easily establishes persistent infection, resulting in chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Due to its high rate of mutation, HCV forms viral quasispecies, categorized based on the highly variable regions in the envelope protein and nonstructural 5A protein. HCV possesses seven major genotypes, among which genotype 1 is the most prevalent globally. The distribution of HCV genotypes varies based on geography, and each genotype has a different sensitivity to interferon treatment. Recently-developed direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), which target viral proteases or polymerases, mediate drastically better antiviral effects than previous therapeutics. Although treatment with DAAs has led to the development of drug-resistant HCV mutants, the most recently approved DAAs show improved pan-genomic activity, with a higher barrier to viral resistance.
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SVR Reduced HCC by 71%
from Jules: there never was any doubt that SVR would reduce or eliminate risk for HCC. In this study cirrhosis prior to treatment had a higher HCC risk then for those without cirrhosis, but that is to be expected and merely reinforces how crucial it is to treat HCV as early as possible...
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Diagnosing Liver Fibrosis and Cirrhosis: Serum, Imaging, or Tissue?
When assessing a patient with chronic liver disease, one of the foremost questions in a clinician’s mind is the stage of fibrosis. The degree of fibrosis predicts risk of complications and guides management, including hepatocellular carcinoma and variceal surveillance. Traditionally, the liver biopsy has staged fibrosis. Recently, several serum tests and imaging modalities have become available to assess fibrosis noninvasively. Clinicians now have options to consider for fibrosis assessment.
Full Text

For Your Viewing Pleasure
A critical review of endpoints for non-cirrhotic NASH therapeutic trials 
Prof. Vlad Ratziu discusses his article "A critical review of endpoints for non-cirrhotic NASH therapeutic trials" for the upcoming NAFLD special issue of the Journal of Hepatology

Webinar - Hepatitis C Among Pregnant Women
This webinar is now archived.
Click here for the slides. Click here for the recording.
(Click the link and then enter name and email address to view the webinar).

Reports 

December 2017 infohep bulletin
Latest treatment news and information for patient advocates and people working in hepatitis in Europe.


Hepatitis C Coalition 
Hepatitis C Coalition new report on the Operational Delivery Networks
CONTENTS
How Hepatitis Services are delivered
Relevant policies
Project process and topics discussed
List of ODN visits
Overview of findings
Run rates
Finances and CQUIN
Delivering the clinical service and MDTs
Data and sharing of information with NHS England
Prisons and outreach
Diagnosis and referral
Future of the ODNs 
Begin here....

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas!
Tina 

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