Antiviral treatment standards for hepatitis B: An urgent need for expansion

World J Gastroenterol. 2024 Jan 28;30(4):418-420. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i4.418.ABSTRACTThe present letter to the editor is related to the review with the title "Past, present, and future of long-term treatment for hepatitis B virus." Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) represents an important and pressing public health concern. Timely identification and effective antiviral therapy hold the potential to reduce liver-related mortality attributable to chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) substantially. However, the current global treatment rates for CHB remain conspicuously low, with the excessively stringent treatment criteria advocated by national CHB guidelines being a contributing factor to these low rates. Nevertheless, recent strides in comprehending this malady and the emergence of novel antiviral agents prompt the imperative re-evaluation of treatment standards to extend the sphere of potential beneficiaries. An impending need arises for a novel paradigm for the classification of patients with CHB, the expansion of antiviral treatment eligibility for HBV-infected individuals, and even the streamlining of the diagnostic process for CHB to amplify cost-effectiveness and augment survival prospects.PMID:38313234 | PMC:PMC10835536 | DOI:10.3748/wjg.v30.i4.418
Source: World Journal of Gastroenterology : WJG - Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Source Type: research