HCV, Alcohol-Use Disorder Heightens Risk for Liver-Related Mortality

Issue: October 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Patients with hepatitis C virus infection and alcohol-use disorder had an increased risk for mortality by liver-related causes compared with those with an alcohol-use disorder, but not hepatitis C virus, according to data presented at ICAAC 2014.

In a longitudinal study, researchers collected data and conducted tests, such as liver function tests, in 819 patients with alcohol-use disorder between 1999 and 2010 to determine if hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection played a role in causing mortality among patients receiving treatment for alcohol-use disorder. Among all the patients, 129 were positive for HCV, 690 patients were HCV-negative. The median follow-up was 3.8 years.

Of the patients with HCV, researchers found that 14.2% met standard criteria for alcohol-related liver disease. At admission, 81.6% of patients were male; average age was 44 years; average duration of alcohol-use disorder was 14 years; and the average daily intake of alcohol was 190 g.

When the study concluded, 11.6% of patients (n=95) had died. The main causes of mortality were liver-related illness (30%) (RR=3.80; 95% CI, 1.7-8.2), cancer (24%) (RR=0.55; 95% CI, 0.09-2.03) and cardiovascular events (14%) (RR=1.00; 95% CI, 0.15-4.04). More patients with HCV had died (4.1(2.6-6.1) compared with patients without HCV (2.5(1.9-3.1).

“HCV infection in patients with [alcohol-use disorder] is associated with an increased risk of overall and liver-related mortality,” the researchers wrote. “The irruption of innovative anti-HCV therapies may have an impact in the survival of these patients.”

For more information:

Zuluaga P. Abstract V-480. Presented at: Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy; Sept. 5-9, 2014; Washington, D.C.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.