Abstract: #972 Risk of Parkinson’s Disease in Hepatitis C Patients Following Exposure to Direct-Acting Antiviral Treatment: An Analysis of US Administrative Claims Data – Laura Telep, et al.
Previous studies have shown an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease in people with chronic HCV infection, but the data were small. This research analyzed ten years of data collected from 347,052 HCV-positive adults and compared those who were treated for HCV to those who were untreated. The data were further compared to a random sample of 715,220 adults with no HCV diagnosis.
Conclusion: HCV was associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s. Although people treated with DAAs had a reduced risk of Parkinson’s, there aren’t enough data to determine the significance.
Editorial Comments: Clearly more research is needed, particularly regarding the effects of treatment on Parkinson’s. It seems important to know if people who are cured need to be screened for Parkinson’s, or if treatment reduces the risk.
Also, I learned something new when reviewing this study. People who were treated with interferon (IFN) tended to be younger than people treated with DAAs. So when comparing DAA to IFN treatments, the generally older DAA subjects may be harder to treat and susceptible to side effects.
Note: A second large study presented at the Liver Meeting confirmed the increased risk of Parkinson’s in those with HCV. It did not examine the post-treatment risk. (Abstract 891 Hepatitis C Virus Infection and Risk Of Parkinson Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis – Karn Wijarnpreecha, et al.)
Lucinda Porter, RN, is a long-time contributor to the HCV Advocate and author of “Free from Hepatitis C” and “Hepatitis C One Step at a Time.” She blogs at www.LucindaPorterRN.com and HepMag.com
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