This page is an archive. Its content may no longer be accurate and was last updated on the original publication date. It is intended for reference and as a historical record only. For hep C questions, call Help4Hep BC at 1-888-411-7578.
An international study showed that alcohol use disorder contributed significantly to liver disease burden in patients with hepatitis C. Researchers suggest that, where appropriate, countries develop strategies that combine direct-acting antiviral therapy with management of alcohol use disorders.
The study comprised 58,487 people with an HCV notification from British Columbia, 84,529 from New South Wales, and 31,924 from Scotland.
Patients with alcohol use disorder, compared with those without the disorder, were younger at decompensated cirrhosis diagnosis in British Columbia (52 vs. 56 years).
For decompensated cirrhosis diagnoses, alcohol use disorder correlated with a population attributable fraction of 13% in British Columbia, and specifically, among people born in or after 1965, alcohol use disorder correlated with a population attributable fraction of 21% in British Columbia.
“Continued heavy alcohol intake is likely to impact potential benefits of DAA-based cure on individual-level liver disease progression and population-level liver disease burden,” the researchers wrote.