Patients with chronic hepatitis C receiving treatment with direct acting antivirals: How is this population changing?

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Direct acting antiviral agents (DAAs) have revolutionized the landscape of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) enabling treatment of all those infected. It remains to be determined how the characteristics of those receiving treatment are changing.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively analysed all the patients with CHC who received treatment with DAAs in a large referral centre since 01/01/2015. We stratified their demographic, clinical and virological characteristics at baseline and the sustained virological response (SVR) rates according to the year of treatment.

RESULTS

In the study were included 2565 patients. During the study period, the yearly proportion of men and cirrhotic patients decreased (p<0.001) whereas mean age increased from 59.8 to 62.2 years old (p=0.04). An increasing trend was observed in the foreign-born patients from 4.3% to 7.9%, without reaching statistical significance. The prevalence of comorbidities had also increased during the study period (p<0.001). Instead, the yearly number of experienced patients decreased significantly (p<0.001) as well as the mean MELD score of cirrhotic patients from 9 to 7.6 (p<0.001). SVR rates increased significantly, from 93.4% in 2015 to 97.1% in 2018 (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The population of patients with CHC receiving DAAs is becoming older and with more comorbidities. Nevertheless, this did not impact SVR rates.