TY - JOUR
T1 - Chronic hepatitis C virus infection in older adults
AU - Marcus, Esther Lee
AU - Tur-Kaspa, Ran
PY - 2005/12/1
Y1 - 2005/12/1
N2 - Most of the older adults with chronic hepatitis C virus infection acquired the disease earlier in life. These patients often present with complications of liver disease, mainly cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The burden of chronic hepatitis C virus infection in elderly persons is expected to increase significantly in the United States during the next 2 decades. It seems important that, for elderly patients with chronic hepatitis C, the risk-benefit of combination antiviral therapy consisting of pegylated interferon and ribavirin should be assessed on an individual basis. Assessment should be performed in all cases before considering treatment, and it should include evaluation of the degree of liver fibrosis by means of liver biopsy or, possibly, by means of noninvasive methods. Novel antiviral drugs that may have fewer adverse effects, such as protease inhibitors, may serve as potential alternatives. It is recommended that elderly patients (up to the age of 75 years) be included in randomized trials of chronic hepatitis C virus infection treatment.
AB - Most of the older adults with chronic hepatitis C virus infection acquired the disease earlier in life. These patients often present with complications of liver disease, mainly cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The burden of chronic hepatitis C virus infection in elderly persons is expected to increase significantly in the United States during the next 2 decades. It seems important that, for elderly patients with chronic hepatitis C, the risk-benefit of combination antiviral therapy consisting of pegylated interferon and ribavirin should be assessed on an individual basis. Assessment should be performed in all cases before considering treatment, and it should include evaluation of the degree of liver fibrosis by means of liver biopsy or, possibly, by means of noninvasive methods. Novel antiviral drugs that may have fewer adverse effects, such as protease inhibitors, may serve as potential alternatives. It is recommended that elderly patients (up to the age of 75 years) be included in randomized trials of chronic hepatitis C virus infection treatment.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=28044472960&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1086/497597
DO - 10.1086/497597
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C2 - 16267733
AN - SCOPUS:28044472960
SN - 1058-4838
VL - 41
SP - 1606
EP - 1612
JO - Clinical Infectious Diseases
JF - Clinical Infectious Diseases
IS - 11
ER -
