Background: Chronic hepatitis C (HCV) disease can be complicated with comorbid conditions that may impact\r\ntreatment eligibility and outcomes. The aim of the study was to systematically review comorbidities and symptoms\r\nin an HCV infected population, specifically assessing comorbidities associated with HCV anti-viral treatment and\r\ndisease, as well as comparing comorbidities between an HCV infected and uninfected control population.\r\nMethods: This was a retrospective cohort study within a United States medical claims database among patients\r\nwith chronic HCV designed to estimate the two-year period prevalence of comorbidities. Patients with two HCV\r\ndiagnosis codes, 24 months of continuous health insurance coverage, and full medical and pharmacy benefits\r\nwere included.\r\nResults: Among a chronic HCV cohort of 7411 patients, at least one comorbid condition was seen in almost all\r\npatients (> 99%) during the study period. HCV-infected patients reported almost double the number of\r\ncomorbidities compared to uninfected controls. Of the 25 most common comorbidities, the majority of the\r\ncomorbidities (n = 22) were known to be associated with either HCV antiviral treatment or disease. The five most\r\nfrequent comorbidities were liver disease [other] (37.5%), connective tissue disease (37.5%), abdominal pain (36.1%),\r\nupper respiratory infections (35.6%), and lower respiratory disease (33.7%). Three notable comorbidities not known\r\nto be associated with antiviral treatment or disease were benign neoplasms (24.3%), genitourinary symptoms & illdefined\r\nconditions (14.8%), and viral infections (13.8%).\r\nConclusions: This US medically insured HCV population is highly comorbid. Effective strategies to manage these\r\ncomorbidities are necessary to allow wider access to HCV treatment and reduce the future burden of HCV disease\r\nand its manifestations.
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