Treatment of chronic hepatitis C

doi:10.1136/bmj.323.7322.1141

BMJ 2001;323:1141-1142 ( 17 November )

Editorials

Treatment of chronic hepatitis C

Combination therapy permanently eradicates the virus in at least 40% of patients

Papers p 1151

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus is extremely prevalent, averaging 1% to 2% of the world population. Fortunately,recognition of potential risk factors, changes in patterns ofusing injected drugs, and improved safety of the blood supplyhave led to a dramatic decline in the incidence of new hepatitisC virus infections in recent years. However, since most acutelyinfected patients become and remain chronically infected, theoverall prevalence of chronic infection has not fallen. Chronicliver disease due to hepatitis C virus typically progresses slowlyand usually does not result in major morbidity for many years.However, it is apparent that the large pool of patients with longstandingchronic hepatitis C is beginning to manifest the consequencesof chronic infection and cirrhosis. In both the United Kingdomand the United States the incidence of hepatocellular carcinomais increasing, deaths due to cirrhosis from chronic hepatitisC are on . . . [Full text of this article]

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