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…