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As many as three-quarters of individuals with hepatitis C virus (HCV) experience disorders related to the virus beyond the impact on their livers, the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable estimates.
HCV-related kidney disease, depression, skin disorders, lymphoma and other conditions can seriously impact a patient, even without severe damage to the liver, studies have shown. There’s also growing evidence as to how HCV intersects with other disease states, Tina Broder, MSW, MPH, Program Director of NVHR, told MD Magazine.
“Our hope in highlighting the extrahepatic manifestations of HCV is to show that curing HCV patients may help improve health conditions beyond liver function,” Broder said.
To publicize that point, NVHR is creating a campaign aimed at both clinicians and patients that emphasizes the importance of managing the virus as a system-wide condition. The group is distributing informational “fact sheets” produced from a review of scientific research and input from staff and a clinical consultant with expertise in HCV. The aim is to help make a business case for treating patients regardless of the severity of their liver disease and to broaden treatment access, Broder said.