Despite the availability of effective treatments, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that only one-third of Hepatitis C cases have been cured in the past decade.
In a recent report released by the CDC, researchers found that between 2013 and 2022, only 34 percent of individuals with a viral infection were considered cured or cleared of the virus, either through treatment or on their own.
The report identifies approximately 1.7 million patients infected with Hepatitis C during the period from 2013 to 2021.
The Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan for the United States aims to achieve viral clearance for at least 80 percent of Hepatitis C patients by 2030. However, there are significant gaps in patients accessing a cure, even a decade after the availability of highly effective direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents.
According to the researchers, a course of oral-only treatment with DAA agents for 8 to 12 weeks is recommended for almost all Hepatitis C patients, with a cure rate of 95 percent or more.
The data analyzed for the report comes from patients across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., who received Hepatitis C testing from Quest Diagnostics.
The report reveals that the cure rate is even lower, particularly among individuals aged 20 to 39 with insurance types other than Medicare, Medicaid, or commercial insurance, with only 16 percent of them achieving viral clearance during the reviewed period.
In contrast, individuals aged 60 and older showed the highest cure rate, with over 40 percent no longer infected. Medicare patients also had a higher cure rate compared to other insurance types.
For the remaining age groups and insurance types, the cure rate was below 40 percent.
The researchers concluded that increasing access to diagnosis, treatment, and prevention services for Hepatitis C patients would help stop disease progression and achieve the national goals for curing it.
They emphasized the need for universal screening recommendations, as well as the provision of treatment regardless of insurance type and prevention measures for individuals at risk of new infections.
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