Publications by authors named "U M Forssen"
Background And Aim: Assessment of the severity of liver disease following infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is important in treatment selection and prognosis. As invasive liver biopsy procedures are regarded as the reference method to assess the stage of fibrosis, it is important to identify patient characteristics that are predictive of liver fibrosis severity. The aim of the study was to describe the distribution of liver severity scores, clinical characteristics, and physicians' assessment of fibrosis among HCV patients in five European countries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Portal vein thrombosis is a known risk among patients with cirrhosis, but the incidence of other thromboembolic events among patients with liver disease is inadequately delineated. This study examined the incidence of venous and arterial thromboembolic events in patients with cirrhosis and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and matched comparators.
Methods: Patients diagnosed with HCV or cirrhosis of various etiologies were identified from a large medical claims database and matched by age and sex to comparator cohorts.
Antiviral therapy has been shown to reduce the risk of disease progression, liver damage and death in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. While interferon labels recommend that patients with platelet counts below 50 × 10(3) /μL not receive interferon-based therapy, it is unknown to what extent thrombocytopaenia influences treatment decisions in practice. This study profiles the reasons for withholding antiviral treatment in HCV patients with thrombocytopaenia in five European countries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- A study reviewed chronic hepatitis C (HCV) patients, finding that over 99% had at least one comorbidity, with HCV patients having nearly double the comorbidities compared to uninfected controls.
- The most common comorbidities included liver disease, connective tissue disease, abdominal pain, and respiratory ailments, with many linked to HCV treatment or the disease itself.
- The findings highlight the urgent need for effective management strategies for these comorbidities to improve access to HCV treatment and lessen the disease's future impact.