BACKGROUND & AIMS: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can significantly reduce health-related quality of life (QoL), but it is not clear if reduction is associated with the infection or with being aware of one's infection status. Understanding the impact of a HCV diagnosis on QoL is essential to inform decision-making regarding screening/testing and treatment. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional design, we assessed QoL in 2898 people who inject drugs (PWID), surveyed in Scotland during 2010 using EQ-5D. Multifactorial regression compared self-reported QoL between PWID who were (i) chronically HCV-infected and aware of their infected status, (ii) chronically HCV-infected but unaware, and (iii) not chronically infected. RESULTS: Median time since onset of injecting was 10years; not chronically infected PWID were younger and had shorter injecting careers than chronically infected PWID. Median EQ-5D was highest for the not chronically infected and the chronic/unaware groups (0.73) compared with the chronic/aware group (0.66). After adjustment for demographic and behavioural co-factors, QoL was significantly reduced in chronic/aware compared with chronic/unaware PWID (adjusted B=-0.09, p=0.005); there was no evidence for a difference in QoL between not chronically infected and chronic/unaware PWID (adjusted B=-0.03, p=0.13). CONCLUSIONS: Awareness of one's chronic HCV status was associated with reduced health-related QoL, but there was no evidence for further reduction attributable to chronic infection itself after adjusting for important covariate differences.
BACKGROUND & AIMS:Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can significantly reduce health-related quality of life (QoL), but it is not clear if reduction is associated with the infection or with being aware of one's infection status. Understanding the impact of a HCV diagnosis on QoL is essential to inform decision-making regarding screening/testing and treatment. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional design, we assessed QoL in 2898 people who inject drugs (PWID), surveyed in Scotland during 2010 using EQ-5D. Multifactorial regression compared self-reported QoL between PWID who were (i) chronically HCV-infected and aware of their infected status, (ii) chronically HCV-infected but unaware, and (iii) not chronically infected. RESULTS: Median time since onset of injecting was 10years; not chronically infected PWID were younger and had shorter injecting careers than chronically infected PWID. Median EQ-5D was highest for the not chronically infected and the chronic/unaware groups (0.73) compared with the chronic/aware group (0.66). After adjustment for demographic and behavioural co-factors, QoL was significantly reduced in chronic/aware compared with chronic/unaware PWID (adjusted B=-0.09, p=0.005); there was no evidence for a difference in QoL between not chronically infected and chronic/unaware PWID (adjusted B=-0.03, p=0.13). CONCLUSIONS: Awareness of one's chronic HCV status was associated with reduced health-related QoL, but there was no evidence for further reduction attributable to chronic infection itself after adjusting for important covariate differences.
Authors: Natasha K Martin; Peter Vickerman; Iain F Brew; Joan Williamson; Alec Miners; William L Irving; Sushma Saksena; Sharon J Hutchinson; Sema Mandal; Eamonn O'Moore; Matthew Hickman Journal: Hepatology Date: 2016-03-22 Impact factor: 17.425
Authors: Sara Lourenço; Raquel Lucas; Fábio Araújo; Mónica Bogas; Rui André Santos; Henrique Barros Journal: Health Qual Life Outcomes Date: 2014-11-30 Impact factor: 3.186
Authors: Lucas Wiessing; Marica Ferri; Bart Grady; Maria Kantzanou; Ida Sperle; Katelyn J Cullen; Angelos Hatzakis; Maria Prins; Peter Vickerman; Jeffrey V Lazarus; Vivian D Hope; Catharina Matheï Journal: PLoS One Date: 2014-07-28 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Matthew Hickman; John F Dillon; Lawrie Elliott; Daniela De Angelis; Peter Vickerman; Graham Foster; Peter Donnan; Ann Eriksen; Paul Flowers; David Goldberg; William Hollingworth; Samreen Ijaz; David Liddell; Sema Mandal; Natasha Martin; Lewis J Z Beer; Kate Drysdale; Hannah Fraser; Rachel Glass; Lesley Graham; Rory N Gunson; Emma Hamilton; Helen Harris; Magdalena Harris; Ross Harris; Ellen Heinsbroek; Vivian Hope; Jeremy Horwood; Sarah Karen Inglis; Hamish Innes; Athene Lane; Jade Meadows; Andrew McAuley; Chris Metcalfe; Stephanie Migchelsen; Alex Murray; Gareth Myring; Norah E Palmateer; Anne Presanis; Andrew Radley; Mary Ramsay; Pantelis Samartsidis; Ruth Simmons; Katy Sinka; Gabriele Vojt; Zoe Ward; David Whiteley; Alan Yeung; Sharon J Hutchinson Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2019-09-24 Impact factor: 2.692
Authors: Natasha K Martin; Matthew Hickman; Alec Miners; Sharon J Hutchinson; Avril Taylor; Peter Vickerman Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2013-08-13 Impact factor: 2.692
Authors: Torbjørn Wisløff; Richard White; Olav Dalgard; Ellen J Amundsen; Hinta Meijerink; Astrid Louise Løvlie; Hilde Kløvstad Journal: Pharmacoeconomics Date: 2018-05 Impact factor: 4.981