Improvement in Quality of Life for Hepatitis C Patients After Treatment
Author Information
Author(s): Mathew Abraham, Peiffer Laurie P, Rhoades Kathy, McGarrity Thomas J
Primary Institution: Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Pennsylvania State University
Hypothesis
The health-related quality of life (HRQOL) will improve in patients who attain sustained viral response similar to naïve patients undergoing treatment for HCV.
Conclusion
Patients who respond to treatment show different HRQOL patterns compared to non-responders, with responders tending to have better scores in certain domains after treatment.
Supporting Evidence
- 25 of the 152 patients achieved a sustained viral response.
- HRQOL scores were lower in HCV patients compared to national norms at baseline.
- Responders showed a significant decrease in vitality scores during treatment.
Takeaway
This study looked at how treatment affects the quality of life for people with hepatitis C. Those who responded well to treatment felt better in some areas compared to those who didn't respond.
Methodology
HRQOL data was collected from 152 patients enrolled in a randomized study for re-treatment of HCV refractory to prior therapy with interferon alpha-2b and ribavirin over 48 weeks.
Potential Biases
Drop-outs were considered treatment failures, which may introduce bias in the results.
Limitations
The study had a relatively small sample size and a significant drop-out rate, which may affect the results.
Participant Demographics
The mean age was 46, with 74% men and 26% women; 90% were Caucasian.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p = .06 for vitality, p = .03 for role-emotional, p = .06 for social functioning
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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