Treating Hepatitis

Hepatitis: discover how some types of hepatitis can be treated with new direct-acting antiviral drugs.

Today at Vithas Xanit International Hospital we are discussing chronic hepatitis, a condition which currently affects 2-3% of the population. It causes inflammation of the liver as a result of infection of the organ by a heterogeneous group of viruses which are identified by a letter (Hepatitis virus A, B, C, delta and E).

Dr Gavilan, Head of the Department of General Internal Medicine at Vithas Xanit International Hospital, explains to us how in some cases such as hepatitis B, C and delta, it is common for this condition to become chronic. This occurs when the virus which causes the infection develops the capacity to remain as a chronic infection in the body. With hepatitis C, chronic infection occurs in around 70% of cases, whilst with hepatitis B it depends on the age at which infection is acquired. Chronic hepatitis B is common if acquired in infancy but only occurs in 5-10% of cases if acquired as an adult. The delta virus requires co-infection with the B virus, or, delta infection needs to occur on top of an existing B virus for it to then cause hepatitis B cases to become chronic, this then occurs in 100% of cases.

Fortunately in the last two years direct-acting antiviral drugs for the treatment of hepatitis have been introduced into Vithas Xanit's General Internal Medicine Service. These are a significant medical advance, recovery rates reaching almost 100% in some types of chronic hepatitis C, which affects approximately 2% of the Spanish population. The drugs achieve sustained elimination of the virus, and with it a change in the condition's prognosis, especially if not at an advanced stage.

The General Internal Medicine's Department is also able to prescribe effective drugs for the treatment of hepatitis B, although these do not achieve total elimination of the virus, they efficiently stop its replication, therefore avoiding liver inflammation and reducing the risk of developing cirrhosis and subsequent complications.

One of the main problems with chronic hepatitis is that it is often asymptomatic, the patient is therefore unaware that they are suffering from the disease until it is discovered incidentally during a medical check-up for a problem unrelated to the condition. If chronic hepatitis is not treated in time it can result in progressive damage to the liver leading to worsening fibrosis of the organ and architectural distortion. In up to 30% of cases this then leads to the development of cirrhosis and with it a deterioration in liver function as well as a significant increase in the development of liver cancer.

To avoid reaching this stage it is important to prevent infection of the organ with vaccination programmes (only available for hepatitis A and B). Early diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis which may become chronic, such as B and C, is also important, so that treatment can be given before the virus causes significant damage to the liver.
The General Internal Medicine Department at Vithas Xanit International Hospital covers a significant number of areas of medicine to provide comprehensive care in each case, especially for those people whose medical problems involve different organs of the body. To understand more about this medical service please visit the following link (spanish information): Click here