Thursday, May 3, 2018

May Hepatitis Newsletters: 2018 International Liver Congress Recap & The Fallout Guide for Hep C

May Hepatitis Newsletters
Welcome to this month's index of viral hepatitis newsletters, with updates from your favorite bloggers and today's news.

Where To Begin?
HCV Advocate's May issue is all about key data presented at the 2018 International Liver Congress, with easy to understand commentary by Alan Franciscus and lovely Lucinda K. Porter. The ever so talented Rick Nash is working on a six-part series called: The Fallout Guide for Hep C, part one is ready over at HEPATITISC.NET. Additional blog and newsletter updates are provided below, enjoy!

May Is Hepatitis Awareness Month
The month of May is designated as Hepatitis Awareness Month in the United States, and May 19th is Hepatitis Testing Day. Learn more: Resources for Hepatitis Awareness Month and Hepatitis Testing Day

National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable 
NVHR Calls for Increased Recognition of Hepatitis C as a Systemic Health Condition
Washington, D.C. (May 1, 2018) – The National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR) today urged healthcare providers, policymakers, and the public health community to use Hepatitis Awareness Month as an opportunity to expand treatment opportunities for patients living with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) by reconsidering the way we think about HCV. Despite the availability of new, highly effective oral medications to cure the disease, the burden of hepatitis C continues to grow in the United States.
View NVHR May Newsletter

In The News
Due to the opioid epidemic, the rate of hepatitis C virus infection among pregnant women increased 60 percent between 2006 and 2014, according to a study, yet only 30 percent of infants exposed to the virus were screened for infection. The study, “Hepatitis C Virus Screening Among Children ExposedDuring Pregnancy,” will be published in the June 2018 issue of Pediatrics (published online May 2).

Seatbelts may protect against severe liver injury in car crashes
(Reuters Health) - Wearing a seatbelt may not prevent liver injuries in a car crash, but it could lessen their severity and make a major difference in the accident’s consequences and costs, researchers say. Among more than 50,000 people with liver injuries as a result of a car crash, those with severe liver injuries were twice as likely to die as those with mild or moderate liver injuries, researchers found.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The number of Americans sickened each year by bites from infected mosquitoes, ticks or fleas tripled from 2004 through 2016, with infection rates spiking sharply in 2016 as a result of a Zika outbreak, U.S. health officials said on Tuesday.

Hospital: Injected patients at risk of Hep C exposure from nurse who stole drugs
May 1, 2018
A hospital is warning 2,600 emergency room patients they may be at risk of Hepatitis C exposure from a nurse who admitted to stealing drugs.

Take-home Narcan kits lifesaving in opioid overdoses
(Reuters Health) - Distributing take-home overdose prevention kits substantially reduced the number of deaths from opioid overdoses in a Canadian province, researchers say.

Flu Vaccines Have High Impact, Even With Relatively Low Efficacy
Last Updated: April 30, 2018.
Even relatively low-efficacy influenza vaccines can have a high impact, especially with optimal distribution across age groups, according to a study published online April 30 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

 In Case You Missed It
Cochrane Review Flawed For Discounting SVR As A Marker Of Viral Cure & Endpoint For Measuring Treatment Impact.
Patients, advocates, and experts agree stigma and discrimination remains a barrier to testing and treatment, however, the benefit of curing hepatitis C with astounding cure rates is not all that controversial. Reason enough for experts to get caught up in a 2017 systematic review published by the Cochrane Collaboration on the benefit of achieving a cure using hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). The review concluded patients who were cured with DAA-based regimens did not reduce their risk for HCV-related morbidity or all-cause mortality. Within days, an outcry emerged from experts urging patients not to be influenced by the misleading and harmful conclusion, or be confused by any media coverage that followed....

Dietary improvements may prevent NAFLD
(Reuters Health) - People who make an effort to improve their diet may have a lower risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFDL) than individuals who stick to unhealthy eating habits, a U.S. study suggests. While dietary changes are recommended to treat NAFLD, research hasn't clearly demonstrated whether these changes can work for prevention.

Radiation segmentectomy a potential curative therapy for liver cancer
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Long-term outcomes with radiation segmentectomy are on par with curative-intent treatments for patients with early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), according to a new paper.

2018 International Liver Congress
Patients looking for an overview of EASL's 2018 International Liver Congress can find it in this month's "infohep bulletin".

Clinical Care Options
Key Viral Hepatitis Studies Influencing My Practice Following EASL 2018
Expert faculty members summarize key viral hepatitis studies from this important annual conference.

Listen to downloadable audio from a live Webinar by Zobair M. Younossi, MD, MPH, FACP, FACG, AGAF, in which the clinical impact of new NAFLD/NASH data reported at the Paris meeting is discussed.
*Free registration required

EASL LiverTree - Open To All
This year webcasts and congress materials are open access! Watch freely the conferences and ePosters: https://livertree.easl.eu/easl/#!*menu=6*browseby=3*sortby=2*ce_id=1307
*Free registration required

HepCBC
Read today's news or a nice summary of notable headlines published in the latest issue of The Weekly Bull.

Caring Ambassadors
Literature Review
Monthly Pubmed Review of the Most Relevant Research on Hepatitis C
March & April 2018

Healio
SVR after HCV therapy reduces extrahepatic mortality, manifestations
Results of a recent systematic review and meta-analysis showed that sustained virologic response after hepatitis C therapy can reduce extrahepatic manifestations including insulin resistance and cardiovascular risks...

Conatus completes enrollment in phase 2 trial for NASH cirrhosis inhibitor
Conatus Pharmaceuticals completed enrollment in its ENCORE-PH phase 2 clinical trial for emricasan, an orally-active pan-caspase inhibitor designed to treat nonalcoholic…

Healio Updates
Read the latest news
Current Publications
HCV Next
Healio Gastroenterology
Infectious Disease News

Newsletters

HCV Advocate 
In this edition of the HCV Advocate we have devoted nearly the entire issue to the 2018 International Liver Congress. Lucinda Porter, RN and I cover some of our favorite posters and presentations in the current issue and in the upcoming June 2018 issue.

May Newsletter

Lucinda’s Highlights from the 2018 International Liver Congress:
Risk of Liver Fibrosis Progression in Patients with Undiagnosed Hepatitis C Virus Infection
Protective Effect of Cannabis and Coffee Consumption on HCV-related Mortality in French HIV-HCV Co-Infected Patients
Poor Awareness of Liver Disease Shortly Before Cirrhosis Death: Findings from a Large Community Cohort in the UK
The Covert “C”; Prevalence: Risk Factors and Management of Hepatitis C in Psychiatric In-Patients
Effectiveness of Hepatitis C Virus Screening Laws in the United States: Evidence from Paid Claims Data from 2010 to 2016
Lower Risk of Multiple Sclerosis in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis
Screening for Neurocognitive Dysfunction in Non-Cirrhotic Chronic Hepatitis C Infection in an Irish Academic Unit

Alan’s Highlights from the 2018 International Liver Congress:
Testing and linkage to care outcomes in baby boomers versus young adults tested in the community and linked to care at a Federally Qualified Health Center in the US
Linkage to HCV care and reincarceration following release from New York City jails
Direct Antiviral Agents are safe and efficacious in pediatric patients with chronic hepatitis C; Real-world data from the public health perspective
Salvage treatment of HCV patients by Sofosbuvir, Daclatasvir, Simeprevir, and Ribavirin after repeated treatment failures is associated with SVR and reduced risk of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatitis Headlines – read about a new hepatitis C therapy in clinical trials, hepatitis C screening rates among baby boomers, the opioid epidemic and about Hepatitis Awareness Month in May.

What’s Up!
We have updated the following HCSP’s Guide and Fact Sheets:

A Guide to Understanding HCV is our most popular downloaded publication. We have completely rewritten and designed the Guide.

HCSP Fact Sheets:
Overview of Disease Progression
HCV Disease Progression: What is Fibrosis?

Don’t forget to check out PackHealth.com for a free resource to help patients navigate their HCV treatment journey. Click on PackHealth.com/hcv and use promo code HCV2017.

Check out our Hep C Video of a patient journey through treatment and cure . . .

The New York City Hepatitis C Task Force

British Liver Trust
We’d love to keep in touch to let you know how your support is helping so to keep receiving our newsletter and updates, please click here to register your preferences today.

HCVAction
May - Good practice case study: Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust Homecare treatment delivery
This HCV Action good practice case study focuses on Nottingham University Hospitals Trust's Homecare treatment delivery project. The project offered patients the option to receive treatment for hepatitis C in their own homes. The project proved popular with patients and resulted in a number of benefits to the service compared with delivering treatment in secondary care.
View All Updates: http://www.hcvaction.org.uk/

POZ
April/May 2018 Issue
In every issue, you’ll find the hottest topics of interest to our readers along with cutting-edge health information.
View all updates: https://www.poz.com/

National Institutes of Health
A monthly newsletter from the National Institutes of Health, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
May Newsletter
Newsletters: https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/

World Hepatitis Alliance
Successful hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy reduces the risk of a serious cardiovascular event in people with compensated liver cirrhosis, French.
Read all updates: http://www.worldhepatitisalliance.org/latest-news

 Newsletter: HEPVOICE - World Hepatitis Alliance

Pacific Hepatitis C Network
Help-4-Hep BC Celebrates 1 Year!
4 May 2018
by Daryl Luster, PHCN Board President
As we near the completion of our first year operating the Help-4-Hep helpline herein BC, I thought it would be a good time to reflect back. A private and confidential service like our helpline fills a gap not met by other resources. With the stigma still unfortunately alive and well across all populations affected by hep c, Help-4-Hep BC provides a means to access peer support and knowledge, as well as resources to help people navigate a process that can be overwhelming.

GI & Hepatology

Blog Updates

Why Bringing Liver Research to Life Matters
If liver disease is a jigsaw puzzle, then research are the puzzle pieces. When put in the right sequence these pieces have the ability to create a full and detailed picture…

HEP Blogs
Hepatitis Awareness Month is Officially Here
It is Hepatitis Awareness Month and for the next 31 days we pay extra attention to issues surrounding viral hepatitis. I am committing to do at least one daily action to raise awareness about virus hepatitis. I hope you will join me today and throughout this month, as we work to educate, challenge, and eventually eliminate viral hepatitis.

5 Ways You Can Take Care of Your Liver
An unhealthy diet can lead to liver disease and compromise the function of your liver. The American Liver Foundation states,“eating high fatty foods will put you at risk of being overweight and having non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and at risk for other disease.”

Still in India, Greg writes the next installment of his blog sitting in the back seat of a taxi driving from Udaipur to Jaipur.

Common Co-Infections with Hepatitis C
A look at some of the common co-infections that may accompany hepatitis C

Is hepatitis C criminalized in your state?


HEPATITISC.NET
This is part one of a six-part series called The Fallout Guide for Hep C. Six emotional components of living with hep C which are important to address to maintain our sense of self as we traverse the difficult hardships ahead.

I Help C
Have you ever had a perfectly fine day turn into a hot mess? It happened to me recently. I made it through, and even learned a few lessons. Mostly, I survived. It started when I met with the mechanic for an engine check. We had been feeling it downshift occasionally. I was fine right up until the checker inner guy asked me what was wrong. All of a sudden, I slumped down and tears sprang to my eyes. The room went blurry. My purse felt like it weighed 90 pounds. After leaning on the counter, I tried to tell him my story. Looking back, I was falling apart with the long term side effects from Hepatitis C.

Then I went in for my 3 months screening and sure enough, the tumor was back. It’s the same one that I had the Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization (TACE) for. It worked and knocked that sucker out for a while. But I understood that it could grow again. They call it a recurrent or residual tumor.
Read all updates: http://www.ihelpc.com/

Creating a World Free of Hepatitis C
Last week, I talked about how to read drug product information (PI). This week I’ll discuss the parts of the PI that I didn’t cover last week in Medication: Reading the Fine Print. This includes the more complicated concepts, which I will try to put in to simpler terms.
Read all updates: http://www.lucindaporterrn.com/blog/

Hep B Blog
Welcome to “Journey to the Cure.” This is a web series that chronicles the progress at the Hepatitis B Foundation and Baruch S. Blumberg Institute towards finding the cure for hepatitis B.
Read all updates: http://www.hepb.org/blog/2018/04/

Confused and trying to understand your hepatitis B blood test results? Check out our easy to use chart. http://www.hepb.org/prevention-and-diagnosis/diagnosis/understanding-your-test-results/

HIV and ID Observations
As mentioned last week, I’m currently attending on the general medical service, a chance to brush up on non-ID clinical skills, and more importantly, to work with smart, energetic house staff and medical students.
Not surprisingly, there’s a wide range of clinical ID on this service, and this year we’ve had a rash of streptococcal infections.
Read all updates: https://blogs.jwatch.org/hiv-id-observations/

Al D. Rodriguez Liver Foundation
Alcohol’s Heart Benefits May Not Apply to People With Liver Disease
Numerous articles and videos circulated on social media and reputable websites, stating that light to moderate alcohol intake offers cardio-vascular health benefits. But does this apply to everyone? Studies show that it might not be the case for people with liver disease.
Read all updates: http://www.aldrodriguezliverfoundation.com/homepage-2/

Harvard Health Blog
Journal Of Hepatology
May 2018 Volume 68, Issue 5, Pages 1063–1075
Fructose and sugar: A major mediator of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Thomas Jensen , Manal F. Abdelmalek, Shelby Sullivan, Kristen J. Nadeau, Melanie Green, Carlos Roncal, Takahiko Nakagawa, Masanari Kuwabara, Yuka Sato, Duk-Hee Kang, Dean R. Tolan, Laura G. Sanchez-Lozada, Hugo R. Rosen, Miguel A. Lanaspa, Anna Mae Diehl, Richard J. JohnsonFull-Text
View Online
PDF (952 KB)
TAKE-HOME MESSAGE
While we have known for many years that fructose and beverages sweetened with high fructose corn syrup can contribute to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, this is an excellent review of the literature to date on this topic. In addition, it postulates the potential mechanisms that could be contributing to fructose's contribution to the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. It also highlights the factors that can potentiate the effect that fructose has on the liver, including genetic mechanisms, the role of fructokinase, high-fat diets, and alcohol.

Even one drink a day linked to lower life expectancy
Even light drinkers who enjoy a single beer or glass of wine every night may still be more likely to die prematurely than people who drink less, a recent study suggests.

Benzodiazepines: America's 'Other Prescription Drug Problem'
Public Radio Tulsa
Drugs like Valium, Xanax and Ativan are more popular than ever. Frequently used to treat anxiety, the medicines can be risky, especially when mixed with alcohol or opioids.

The BMJ 28 Apr 2018
From Richard Lehman’s journal review—30 April 2018
Old surgeons and good outcomes
Watching snooker on the television is a harmless pastime, though you must be sure to press the mute button. Then you can listen to music, or trawl through lists of references, or have a snooze. Such are the diminishing pleasures of elderly life. Should you happen to watch the game, you will find that younger players tend to become overconfident and take on shots which, when missed, lead to their eventual downfall. Older players simply go for safety, and end up winning. Here is a study which shows that surgeons are the same. “Using national data on Medicare beneficiaries in the US, this study found that patients treated by older surgeons had lower mortality than patients treated by younger surgeons. There was no evidence that operative mortality differed between male and female surgeons.” Strange there are so few female snooker players.

Dietary interventions may be able to send type 2 diabetes into remission, and intensive lifestyle interventions with some help from modern technology means more patients may now have the support they need to accomplish this.

On This Blog
HCV, type 2 diabetes & fatty liver disease - Importance of diet and exercise


Just So You Know

Reports that dark chocolate 'improves eyesight' are unconfirmed
"Dark chocolate improves your eyesight," is the unusual headline from the Mail Online following a small trial comparing the effects of dark and milk chocolate on vision. The theory is that dark chocolate is high in antioxidant flavanols, which are touted as having many potential health benefits, including effects on the nervous system.

Dark chocolate and health: Fudging the evidence with USA Today
How does dark chocolate “support” your health? According to USA Today, it can do so because an unpublished pilot study involving just five people–yes, five–showed eating lots of it over a few days “influenced gene activity, increased anti-inflammatory agents and increased infection-fighting cells.” A second pilot study also showed it can “positively impact brain function” on five people, the paper reported.

Wishing you all a good week ahead, thanks for stopping by.
Tina
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