Successful Clearance of Hepatitis C Virus Is Associated with Lower All-Cause Mortality

Previous studies suggest that achieving sustained virologic response (SVR) with interferon-based therapy reduces rates of liver failure and liver-related deaths in patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) (JW Gastroenterol Jun 1 2007). To explore whether SVR might also lead to reduction in all-cause mortality — considered the most definitive clinical endpoint — investigators conducted a multinational, long-term cohort study involving 546 consecutive patients who were treated with an interferon-based regimen for advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis. Secondary outcomes were liver failure, liver-related mortality, liver cancer, and transplant. The median follow-up duration was 8.4 years.

Of 530 participants included in analyses (median age, 48;…