Impact of Chronic Hepatitis B Infection on Patient-Reported Outcomes

AbstractPurpose of ReviewHepatitis B virus (HBV) infects a large number of people worldwide causing tremendous clinical burden related to decompensated cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although clinical consequences of HBV are well described, the impact of chronic HBV infection on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) is not well described.Recent FindingsMostly asymptomatic, some HBV patients do have some impairment of their health-related quality of life. In general, the use of interferon-based regimens for HBV has been associated with negative impact on both physical function and psychological function of the treated patients. In contrast, oral antiviral regimens for HBV have few side effects and do not seem to impair PROs.SummaryAssessment of PROs for HBV-infected patients is important. These assessments are especially useful in the context of treatment and the clinical trials of future oral antiviral regimens for HBV.
Source: Current Hepatitis Reports - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research