Hepatitis C Virus Testing of Persons Born During 1945–1965: Recommendations From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Abstract

These recommendations are based on systematic reviews of evidence published from 1995 through February 2012 in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Sociological Abstracts, and Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects. Selected studies included cross-sectional and cohort studies that addressed either prevalence of hepatitis C in the United States or clinical outcomes (for example, hepatocellular carcinoma and serious adverse events) among treated patients and systematic reviews of trials that assessed effectiveness of brief screening interventions for alcohol consumption. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation framework was used to assess quality of the evidence. RECOMMENDATION 1: Adults born during 1945-1965 should receive 1-time testing for HCV without prior ascertainment of HCV risk. (Grade: strong recommendation; moderate-quality evidence). RECOMMENDATION 2: All persons with identified HCV infection should receive a brief alcohol screening and intervention as clinically indicated, followed by referral to appropriate care and treatment services for HCV infection and related conditions (Grade: strong recommendation; moderate-quality evidence).

Hepatitis C virus infection in the general population: A large community-based study in Mianyang, West China

“…This recommendation could help to identify most individuals living with HCV. With implementation of this strategy, the U.S potentially averted approximately 120,000 deaths caused by HCV infection (19).…”

Measuring Adherence to Hepatitis C Direct-Acting Antiviral Medications: Using the VAS in an HCV Treatment Clinic

“…45 This age group also experiences one of the highest death rates from HCV. As these individuals grow older and live longer with undiagnosed HCV infection, they are increasingly likely to develop severe liver disease and liver cancer.…”

Safety and efficacy of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir for the treatment of genotype 1 hepatitis C in subjects aged 65 years or older

“…Approximately 70% of all patients with hepatitis C in the United States and western Europe were born between the years 1945 and 1965. (9) In the United States, it is estimated that between 20% and 25% of patients with HCV have cirrhosis. Patients with HCV-associated liver disease make up approximately 40% of liver transplantation candidates, with a median age of 51 years at the time of registration.…”