Benefits of long-term therapy with nucleos(t)ide analogues in treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Objective: To assess the benefits of long-term nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) therapy in reducing the severity and progression of liver disease in treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

Scope: As complications of CHB, such as hepatic decompensation and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), take a long time to develop in patients with less advanced disease, the long-term benefits of NA therapy in such patients are more difficult to prove than short- or medium-term benefits. Thus, the recent literature was reviewed to evaluate the impact of NA therapy on the long-term outcomes of treatment-naïve CHB patients.