Living with HCV

The Guide to Eating Health for People with Hepatitis C;
@ Hepatitis Australia 2007

This guide aims to help people with hepatitis C manage their diet and maintain good health. It contains basic information about hepatitis C, current eating guidelines, nutritional information and how to be a good critic of diet and nutritional information.

Liver Fibrosis Progression in Hepatitis C Virus Infection After Seroconversion;
Adeel A. Butt, MD, MS et, al. JAMA Intern Med. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.6502

Knowing the rate of liver fibrosis progression in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected persons can help inform patients and providers (clinicians, medical institutions or organizations, and third-party payers) in making treatment decisions. The objective was to determine the rate and factors associated with liver fibrosis progression and hepatic decompensation in persons after acquiring HCV infection.

Hepatitis C Virus Infection and Cardiomyopathies
Akira Matsumori; Circulation Research / February 4, 2005; http://circres.ahajournals.org/

HCV infection may be the cause of several phenotypically different cardiomyopathies, mild inflammation with mononu- clear cell infiltration has also been observed with HCV infection in humans.

Impact of hepatitis C virus infection on lifestyle
Paola Scognamiglio et al. Gastroenterol 2007; 13(19): 2722-2726

Study evaluates the impact of the diagnosis of hepatitis C infection on lifestyle habits such as smoking, drinking, sports activity and diet.

HCV Advocate June 2015
Vol. 18, Issue 6: Hepatitis C Support Project

If you have chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, you are likely to have pain. This two-part series will explore HCV and pain.

HCSP Fact Sheet – HCV and Wellness –
www.hcvadvocate.org

In the past, diet modification was seen as an important part of liver disease management; this is less true today. However, recent data suggest that steatosis (fatty infiltrates of the liver) contribute to liver disease progression and lower HCV medical treatment response. Poor diet and little or no exercise greatly contribute to the formation of steatosis. Therefore it is recommended that people with hepatitis C eat a healthy, well-balanced diet, drink plenty of clear fluids, engage in moderate exercise and get plenty of rest.

Achieving sustained virologic response in hepatitis C: a systematic review of the clinical, economic and quality of life benefits;
Smith-Palmer et al. BMC Infectious Diseases DOI 10.1186/s12879-015-0748-8

SVR represents the fundamental goal of antiviral treatment for patients infected with chronic HCV, so as to reduce risk of liver disease progression. Achievement of SVR has implications beyond those of clearing viral infection; it is associated with improved long-term clinical outcomes, economic benefits and improved health-related quality of life.

Fracture Risk In Hepatitis C Virus Infected Persons: Results From The DANVIR Cohort Study:
Ann-Brit Eg Hansen, Lars Haukali Omland, Henrik Krarup, Niels Obel: Journal of Hepatology 2014 vol. 61 j 15–21

HCV-exposed patients had increased risk of all fracture types. In contrast, overall risk of fracture did not differ between patients with chronic vs. cleared HCV-infection, although chronic HCV-infection might be associated with a small excess risk of low-energy fractures. Our study suggests that fracture risk in HCV infected patients is multi-factorial and mainly determined by lifestyle-related factors associated with HCV exposure

Nutrition and Hepatitis C:
Liz Highleyman and Alan Franciscus, Editor-in-Chief: Hepatitis C Support Project, www.hcvadvocate.org

This fact sheet offers information about good nutrition for people with HCV. It is recommended that people with hepatitis C eat a healthy, well-balanced diet, drink plenty of clear fluids, engage in moderate exercise and get plenty of rest.

The Guide to Healthy Eating for People with HCV:
Hepatitis Australia 2007

This guide aims to help people with hepatitis C manage their diet and maintain good health. It contains basic information about hepatitis C, current eating guidelines, nutritional information and how to be a good critic of diet and nutritional information.

Hepatitis C: Nutrition Care, Canadian Guidelines for Health Care Providers,
Copyright 2003, Dietitians of Canada.

These guidelines are designed to serve as a general framework to assist decision making for nutritional management of patients infected with the hepatitis C virus and are based on the best information available at the time of publication.

How Does Coffee Prevent Liver Fibrosis? Biological Plausibility For Recent Epidemiological Observations,
Jonathan A. Dranoff, Jordan J. Feld, Élise G. Lavoie, and Michel Fausther, Hepatology 2014

The published epidemiological data demonstrating an inverse relationship
between coffee (and potentially other caffeinated beverage) consumption and liver
fibrosis and its downstream complications are weighty and rapidly accumulating. Several
excellent recent reviews examine this evidence in great detail (1-3), and the overwhelming conclusion is that this inverse relationship is real – coffee drinking reduces liver fibrosis.

Higher Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease and Shorter Renal Survival in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection,
Sanjaya Kumar Satapathy, Chandra Sekhar Lingisetty, Susan Williams, The American Journal of Gastroenterology 2009; 358:S315.

Chronic HCV infection was associated with a significantly higher prevalence of chronic kidney disease compared with controls, as well as significantly shorter renal survival.

Liver Health Home Checklist,
Canadian Liver Foundation, www.liver.ca

The Canadian Liver Foundation invites you to take a tour of your home using the Liver Health Home Checklist

LIVERight: How to Protect Your Liver if You Drink Alcohol,
Canadian Liver Foundation, www.liver.ca

When you have a glass of wine, beer or other liquor, the liver is in charge of processing this alcohol and detoxifying the blood.

LIVERight: How To Protect Your Liver When Taking Prescription And Over-The-Counter Medications, Herbal Remedies Or Other Drugs,
Canadian Liver Foundation www.liver.ca

The liver is the body’s clearinghouse for most drugs, herbal remedies, vitamins and supplements which means it is vulnerable to the toxic consequences of inadvertent overdoses, unexpected interactions or extended use.

Progression of Liver Fibrosis in Women Infected With Hepatitis C: Long-Term Benefit of Estrogen Exposure
Vincent Di Martino, et al. HEPATOLOGY, Vol. 40, No. 6, 2004

Female sex is a protective factor for the progression of fibrosis in patients with chronic
HCV infection. Experimental data suggest that estrogens may have an antifibrotic effect. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of past pregnancies, oral contraceptives, menopause, and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on liver fibrosis progression in HCV-infected women.

Active at Night, Sleepy all Day – Sleep Disturbances in Patients with Hepatitis C Virus Infection,
Meike Heeren, et al. Journal of Hepatology 2014

Our data indicate that chronic fatigue is associated with bad sleep quality and increased nocturnal activity in HCV infected patients suggesting an alteration of sleep architecture behind fatigue in HCV-associated encephalopathy.

The Clinical Course of Cirrhosis. Population Based Studies and the Need of Personalized Medicine,
Gennaro D’Amico, Journal of Hepatology 2014

The natural history of cirrhosis is characterised by a silent, asymptomatic course until increasing portal pressure and decreasing liver function result in overt clinical signs. In the asymptomatic phase of the disease, usually referred to as compensated cirrhosis, patients may have good quality of life and the disease may progress undetected for many years.

Women with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection: Recommendations for Clinical Practice
Mary Jane Burton, MD, James B. Brock, MD, and Stephen A. Geraci, MD, Copyright 2013 by The Southern Medical Association

The natural history of hepatitis C virus infection differs between women and men. Women demonstrate a slow rate of disease progression until menopause.

Work Productivity Among Treatment‐Naïve Patients With Genotype 1 Chronic Hepatitis C Infection Receiving Telaprevir Combination Treatment,
J. Aggarwal et al. Journal of Hepatology 2014

The objective of this analysis was to examine the impact of chronic HCV infection and its treatment with combination therapy on work productivity.