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HBF is pleased to connect our blog readers to Christine Kukka’s monthly HBV Journal Review that she writes for the HBV Advocate. The journal presents the
latest in hepatitis B research, treatment, and prevention from recent academic and medical journals. This month, the following topics are explored:
• U.S. Doctors Failing to Treat Patients Who Need Treatment
• Doctors Say Poor Training and Limited Resources Contribute to
Substandard Care • More Proof—Many Patients with Slightly Elevated ALTs
Have Fibrosis • Tenofovir Reduces Viral Load in HBeAg-Positive Patients
Faster than Entecavir • Researchers Find Tenofovir Does Not Damage
Kidneys • Tenofovir and Entecavir Highly Effective—If Taken as
Prescribed • Family History of Liver Cancer Boosts Cancer Risk to 15.8%
Among HBV-Infected • Vitamin D Deficiencies Found in People with High
Viral Loads • More Evidence Shows Breastfeeding Does Not Transmit HBV
Infection • Cesareans Do Not Reduce Mother-to-Child HBV Infection
• 2% of HBV Genotype D Adults Lose HBsAg Annually
HBV Journal Review
June 1, 2013, Vol 10, no 6
by Christine M. Kukka
U.S. Doctors Failing to Treat Patients Who Need Treatment
Fewer than 50% of patients infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) who need treatment get antivirals or interferon from their primary care doctors and fewer than 70% of patients who go to university liver clinics get appropriate treatment, according to research presented at the Digestive Disease Week medical conference held in Orlando in May.
Stanford University researchers conducted a real-life study to see what percentage of 1,976 hepatitis B patients treated in various clinical settings over four years received treatment. They used current medical guidelines when evaluating whether patients received appropriate treatment.
Continue reading about this and additional studies…
I am suffering from HBV + , I have taken Pegasys Injection, I also taken Entacavir. After those treatment my virus load is negative, but after some months , my virus load shows high. Now Can you give some suggestion, What can I do ? Pls. help
Regards
Are you still taking entecavir? Antivirals should not be abruptly stopped. Most people that take an antiviral for their HBV remain on them for years or even for life. Abruptly stopping an antiviral can result in a flare that can elevate ALTs and viral loads. If you continue to be on entecavir, but you have developed resistance, you will want to talk to your liver specialist about adding another antiviral in order to control the virus. An add-on antiviral would only be prescribed if you remain on entecavir and have not stopped, which would indicate the presence of a mutation. Please talk to your doctor.