title: The impact of antiviral therapy for hepatitis C on the quality of life: a perspective.
abstract: Instruments to assess the impact of hepatitis C virus infection on health and measurements of reported outcomes in patients (health-related quality of life [HRQOL]) are not frequently used to assign priority for treatment. Several systematic reviews have been performed that provide a comprehensive analysis to help understand patient reported outcomes (PROs) with direct acting antiviral treatment. Clinical trials with direct acting antivirals (DAAs) provide an important opportunity to assess PROs without interferon or ribavirin. Significant improvement in quality of life parameters have been noted with DAA therapy. The results show improvement in HRQOL indices when interferon-free and particularly interferon and ribavirin-free treatments are compared to interferon and ribavirin treatment. Improvements in HRQOL indices are an encouraging aspect of the cure of chronic hepatitis C. It is unclear whether these measurable HRQOL improvements can be translated into a net benefit improvement in work productivity and a social dimension that is significant enough to convince payers of the added value of early and more widespread treatment.
authors.affiliation: UCL Institute of Liver and Digestive Health, University College London Medical School, Kings College Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dusheiko
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D016174:Hepacivirus; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011788:Quality of Life; D000069474:Sofosbuvir / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000072230:Sustained Virologic Response
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D000069474:Sofosbuvir
keywords: antiviral treatment; health-related quality of life; hepatitis C; interferon; patient reported outcomes; sofosbuvir