VA research on hepatitis C includes clinical trials of treatments, epidemiologic studies, investigations into the biological mechanisms of infection, and studies on improving quality of life for patients with this condition. Some recent studies have focused on boosting the rates at which Veterans with the condition receive antiviral treatment.

Examples of VA Research Advances

Statins improve response—Some cholesterol-lowering drugs may make antiviral drugs work better, particularly in HCV patients who also have diabetes. A research team at the Kansas City (Mo.) VA Medical Center studied about 8,300 hepatitis C patients, 1,700 of them with diabetes. Those who were also taking statin drugs had better responses to antiviral drugs for hepatitis C. The finding may help doctors tailor HCV care for patients.

Who sticks with treatment?—Antiviral drug treatment for hepatitis C typically lasts up to a year and has multiple side effects. Even if the drugs are working, many patients stop taking them. Seeking ways to reduce drop-out rates, researchers from VA's Puget Sound Health Care Center found that Veterans who also took hematopoeitic growth factors were more likely to stick with treatment. These growth factors are proteins that boost blood-cell counts. They may help to reduce the anemia and fatigue that affect many patients. The researchers also found that Veterans with depression, substance use or diabetes were more likely to stop treatment too soon.

Self-management offers benefits—A six-week self-management program improved the health and quality of life of Veterans with hepatitis C in a San Diego study. VA researchers randomized 132 patients to either an information-only intervention or 12 hours of a self-management workshop. The workshop covered information about hepatitis C and taught problem-solving and self-management skills. After six weeks, patients in the self-management group knew more about their disease and were better able to manage it. They had more energy and tended to have better physical functioning and less health-related distress.