ART Reduces the Rate of Hepatic Decompensation in HIV/HCV-Coinfected Patients

Liver disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in HIV patients who are coinfected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). HIV accelerates the progression of HCV-related liver disease, but whether controlling HIV replication and improving immune function with antiretroviral therapy (ART) has any effect on liver-disease progression remains unclear. Using the Veterans Aging Cohort Study Virtual Cohort database (an electronic medical record extraction of HIV patients receiving care in the Veterans Affairs system and a 2:1 matched HIV-negative cohort, matched for age, sex, race and site), investigators evaluated the effect of ART initiation on the rate of hepatic decompensation among HIV/HCV-coinfected male veterans. Among 44,180 HIV-infected i…