Thank You Healio
Thank you to all those amazing people who made HCV NEXT possible each month. I am so grateful for every outstanding interview, expert analysis, news article and in-depth editorial that was published over the last five years. Please know each issue made a difference in the lives of hepatitis C patients struggling to reach the finish line.
Your publication will be missed!
Read the November/December Issue.
Please continue to keep up on your HCV news via our other news outlets: Healio Gastroenterology and Liver Disease, Infectious Disease News and, launching soon, Healio Primary Care.
Hepatitis C - Barriers To Eradication
Despite all of the advances in hepatitis C treatment, it remains a “silent epidemic” with more than 70 million people infected worldwide. In this months issue of HCV Next, Michael S. Saag, MD., writes about HCV eradication and the huge barriers standing in the way; Passing the Torch from Implementation to Eradication.
Today, two different groups of people are at risk for hepatitis C; baby boomers, that is people born between 1945 and 1965 and young people - or - people who inject drugs. Although, HCV screening strategies for baby boomers have improved, the same is not true for people who use drugs, as reported by the good people at Imagine Hope recently over at NPR;
"Health care facilities that serve people who use drugs are well-positioned to initiate screening, studies show that often doesn't happen."CEO of the American Liver Foundation added;
"It's a disease that can be cured the moment we identify somebody," says Tom Nealon, "Not testing is incomprehensible when you look at what hepatitis C does to their bodies and their livers."Read the article: Why Aren't More Users Of Opioids Or Meth Screened For Hepatitis C?
NEW @ JAMA
During 2013 to 2016, what proportion of adults were living with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in each US state?
December 21, 2018
Regions with long-standing HCV epidemics, and those with newly emergent ones partly driven by the opioid crisis, face substantial HCV prevalence.
Regions with long-standing HCV epidemics, and those with newly emergent ones partly driven by the opioid crisis, face substantial HCV prevalence.
Prevalence of HCV infection varies widely in the United States. Highest rates are frequently in states deeply affected by the opioid crisis or with a history of increased levels of injection drug use and chronic HCV infection, particularly in the West. Progress toward hepatitis C elimination is theoretically possible with the right investments in prevention, diagnosis, and cure. The urgency for action and the resources necessary will vary by jurisdiction.
In The News
Dec 21, 2018
JAMA In The News: Hepatitis C Cases Cluster in States Hit Hard by Opioids
FRIDAY, Dec. 21, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- More than half of Americans with hepatitis C are living in just nine U.S. states -- five of those in a region hit hard by the opioid epidemic, a new study shows.In The News
Dec 21, 2018
JAMA In The News: Hepatitis C Cases Cluster in States Hit Hard by Opioids
Dec 19, 2018
Medscape: Hep C and Drug Abuse Often Go Hand in Hand, but Screening Lags
Recent studies have shown that health care facilities often fail to screen people who use drugs. Not testing these patients for hepatitis C is an enormous missed opportunity, public health experts agree.
Young People with Hepatitis C Face Cirrhosis at Younger Age
Dec 16, 2018
One-third (32%) of people who contract hepatitis C virus (HCV) as a child will go on to develop cirrhosis at a median of 33 years post-infection, according to new research.
Until next time.
One-third (32%) of people who contract hepatitis C virus (HCV) as a child will go on to develop cirrhosis at a median of 33 years post-infection, according to new research.
Until next time.
Tina
