Objective: Eradication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been linked with improvement in neurocognitive function, but few studies have evaluated the effect of antiviral treatment/ response on risk of dementia. Using data from the Chronic Hepatitis Cohort Study (CHeCS), we investigated how antiviral therapy impacts the risk of developing dementia among patients with HCV.
Methods: A total of 17,485 HCV patients were followed until incidence of dementia, death, or last follow-up. We used an extended landmark modeling approach, which included time-varying covariates and propensity score justification for treatment selection bias, as well as generalized estimating equations (GEE) with a link function as multinominal distribution for a discrete time-to-event data. Death was considered a competing risk.
Results: After 15 years of follow-up, 342 patients were diagnosed with incident dementia. Patients who achieved sustained virological response (SVR) had significantly decreased risk of dementia compared to untreated patients, with hazard ratios (HRs) of 0.32 (95% CI 0.22-0.46) among patients who received direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment and 0.41 (95% CI 0.26-0.60) for interferon-based (IFN) treatment. Risk reduction remained even when patients failed antiviral treatment (HR 0.38, 95% CI 0.38-0.51). Patients with cirrhosis, Black/African American patients, and those without private insurance were at significantly higher risk of dementia.
Conclusion: Antiviral treatment independently reduced the risk of dementia among HCV patients, regardless of cirrhosis. Our findings support the importance of initiation antiviral therapy in chronic HCV-infected patients.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2023.12.011 | DOI Listing |
J Ultrasound
January 2025
Clinical Unit of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University Hospital and Health Services of Trieste, ASUGI, University of Trieste, Strada di Fiume, 447, 34149, Trieste, Italy.
Introduction: Post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) and dementia affect short- and long-term outcome after stroke and can persist even after recover from a physical handicap. The process underlying PSCI is not yet fully understood. Transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) is a feasible method to investigate cerebrovascular aging or dementia, through the pulsatility index (PI), the cerebrovascular reactivity (e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClin Epigenetics
January 2025
Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Alcohol consumption is an important risk factor for multiple diseases. It is typically assessed via self-report, which is open to measurement error through recall bias. Instead, molecular data such as blood-based DNA methylation (DNAm) could be used to derive a more objective measure of alcohol consumption by incorporating information from cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites known to be linked to the trait.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Prim Care
January 2025
Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.
Aims: To study differences in cardiovascular prevention and hypertension management in primary care in men and women, with comparisons between public and privately operated primary health care (PHC).
Methods: We used register data from Region Stockholm on collected prescribed medication and registered diagnoses, to identify patients aged 30 years and above with hypertension. Age-adjusted logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) with 99% confidence intervals (99% CIs) using public PHC centers as referents.
J Prev Alzheimers Dis
February 2025
Department of Neurology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fujian Key Laboratory of Molecular Neurology and Institute of Neuroscience, Fujian Medical University, No.29, Xinquan Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350000, China; Institute of Clinical Neurology, Fujian Medical University, No.29 Xinquan Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350000, China. Electronic address:
Background: The effect of statins use on the incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is still under debate, and it could be modified by a series of factors.
Objectives: We aimed to examine the association of statins use with the risk of cognitive impairment and AD, and assess the moderating roles of genetic susceptibility and other individual-related factors.
Design: A longitudinal study was conducted from the UK Biobank where individuals completed baseline surveys (2006-2010) and were followed (mean follow-up period: 9 years).
J Prev Alzheimers Dis
February 2025
Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA. Electronic address:
Background: Protein abundance levels, sensitive to both physiological changes and external interventions, are useful for assessing the Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk and treatment efficacy. However, identifying proteomic prognostic markers for AD is challenging by their high dimensionality and inherent correlations.
Methods: Our study analyzed 1128 plasma proteins, measured by the SOMAscan platform, from 858 participants 55 years and older (mean age 63 years, 52.
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!