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HCV mortality rates stabilized or increased across three regions
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Liver-related mortality rates after hepatitis C virus infection diagnosis were either stabilized or increased during a period of time in Scotland, Australia and Canada, according to a study published in the Journal of Hepatology.
“Despite HCV being identified more than 2 decades ago, few countries have established national surveillance systems to monitor people diagnosed with infection,” the researchers wrote. “Scotland, New South Wales, Australia, and British Columbia, Canada, have each amassed large HCV diagnosis databases [that have been] linked to corresponding death registries, allowing analysis of mortality rates among a large population of people diagnosed with HCV.”
Researchers analyzed data collected from HCV diagnosis databases from Scotland between 1997 and 2010; New South Wales (NSW), Australia, between 1997 and 2006; and British Columbia, Canada, between 1997 and 2003, and linked the data to death registries in the same regions to calculate diagnosis and mortality-related HCV rates during a period of time.
Overall, 105,138 people were diagnosed with HCV; 21,810 in Scotland, 58,484 in NSW and 24,844 in British Columbia during the time periods. Between 33% and 79% of all people were diagnosed with the infection before 2002, according to the research. A total of 7,275 people died, including 2,572 in Scotland, 2,655 in NSW and 2,048 in British Columbia. Of these deaths, 26.2% in Scotland were liver-related, as well as 20.8% in NSW and 21.6% in British Columbia. All three regions showed increased HCV-diagnosed liver-related mortality rates relative to the general population, according to the research.
During the time period, age-adjusted liver-related mortality rates were stable in both Scotland (P=.4 for male, P=.2 for female) and NSW (P=.9 for male and female). However, British Columbia age-adjusted liver-related mortality rates increased during the time period (P=.002 for male, P=.04 for female).
“The risk of liver-related mortality after a diagnosis of HCV has remained stable across three regions in Scotland, Australia and Canada with well-established population-based HCV diagnosis or notification databases, suggesting that HCV treatments to date have had minimal impact on HCV-related mortality,” the researchers wrote. “With more effective therapies on the horizon, and greater uptake of treatment anticipated, the potential of future therapeutic strategies to reduce HCV-related mortality is considerable.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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