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New York Implements Strategies to Reach Hep C Elimination Goal
New York state is ramping up efforts to eliminate hepatitis C by 2030 by increasing screening, treatment and more, according to Spectrum News. Hepatitis C (HCV) is a contagious but curable disease caused by a virus that infects the liver. HCV is a blood-borne virus that can cause lifelong infection, liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver cancer, liver failure and death.
Hepatitis C Treatment Lowers Heart Disease Risk
People with hepatitis C who receive antiviral therapy have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared with those who do not receive treatment, according to study findings published in IJC Heart & Vasculature. Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is known to be associated with cardiovascular disease, and it appears...
Resection Surgery Leads to Improved Liver Cancer Survival
Liver resection, or removal of part of the liver, led to better long-term survival compared with localized treatment approaches in people with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of liver cancer, according to study results published in JAMA Surgery. “Liver resection should be considered the first therapeutic option in...
1st Biden-Trump Debate of 2024: What They Got Wrong, and Right
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Democratic and Republican presidential nominees, shared a debate stage June 27 for the first time since 2020, in a confrontation that — because of strict debate rules — managed to avoid the near-constant interruptions that marred their previous encounters.
CDC Updates RSV Vaccination Recommendation for Adults
On June 26, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its recommendation for the use of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccines in people ages 60 and older. For this upcoming respiratory virus season, CDC recommends:. Everyone ages 75 and older receive the RSV vaccine. People ages 60–74 who...
Most Veterans With Hepatitis C Are Successfully Treated
Some 80% of veterans with hepatitis C who receive care through the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) initiated antiviral treatment, and 92% went on to achieve a functional cure, according to study findings published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Younger veterans, however, were less likely to be treated and cured. “Ongoing efforts...
FDA Approves First Point-of-Care Hepatitis C RNA Test
The first point-of-care hepatitis C RNA test, which allows individuals to be rapidly tested and, if positive, diagnosed and linked to timely care, received marketing authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to an FDA news release. Guidelines recommend that all adults should be screened for hepatitis C...
Court Mostly Upholds Coverage of PrEP and Preventive Health Care, for Now
In a decision it deemed “something of a mixed bag,” a federal appeals court upheld the mandate that health insurers must cover certain preventive services and their related costs, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV along with screenings for cancer. However, the court ruled against the system that decides which procedures must be covered, declaring that the agency behind the health coverage mandate operates unconstitutionally.
Studying Benefits of Opt-Out Hepatitis C and HIV Testing
Aiming to expand access to hepatitis C (HCV) and HIV testing, researchers at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (MSM) will use a $3.3 million grant to study and implement nationwide opt-out testing, according to a university news release. Opt-out testing, also referred to as universal screening, means...
New Effort to Include People With HIV or on PrEP in Clinical Trials [VIDEO]
When clinical trial researchers write their guidelines and decide on eligible participants, most continue to copy and paste outdated boilerplate language from the early days of the AIDS epidemic. As a result, clinical trials exclude people living with HIV as well as those who are HIV negative but take antiretrovirals as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV. Similarly, LGBTQ people—also referred to as SGMs for “sexual and gender minorities”—are underrepresented in clinical studies.
Biden Leans Into Health Care, Asking Voters To Trust Him Over Trump
Angling to tap into strong support for the sweeping health law he helped pass 14 years ago, one of President Joe Biden’s latest reelection strategies is to remind voters that former President Donald Trump tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act. “Folks, he’s coming for your health care, and...
San Francisco Tries Tough Love by Tying Welfare to Drug Rehab
Raymond Llano carries a plastic bag with everything he owns in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other, and the flattened cardboard box he uses as a bed under his arm as he waits in line for lunch at Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco. At 55, he hasn’t had a home for 15 years, since he lost a job at Target.
Global Fatty Liver Day Promotes Liver Disease Screening [VIDEO]
June 13 marked Global Fatty Liver Day (formerly International NASH Day). The national public awareness day emphasized the importance of screening for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD, formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease). This year’s theme, “Act Now, Screen Today,” aimed to improve MASLD screening rates.
Biden Administration Advances Plan To Remove Medical Debt From Credit Scores
Americans would no longer have to worry about medical debts dragging down their credit scores under federal regulations proposed Tuesday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. If enacted, the rules would dramatically expand protections for tens of millions of Americans burdened by medical bills they can’t afford. The regulations...
Safety-Net Health Clinics Cut Services and Staff Amid Medicaid ‘Unwinding’
One of Montana’s largest health clinics that serves people in poverty has cut back services and laid off workers. The retrenchment mirrors similar cuts around the country as safety-net health centers feel the effects of states purging their Medicaid rolls. Billings-based RiverStone Health is eliminating 42 jobs this spring,...
Elafibranor Wins Accelerated Approval for Primary Biliary Cholangitis
On June 10, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval of elafibranor (brand name Iqirvo), a new type of treatment for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), a rare autoimmune disease affecting the bile ducts and liver. The approval comes just days after researchers presented promising results for elafibranor at...
UT Health Awarded Grants for MASLD Research
The University of Texas (UT) School of Public Health San Antonio received three federal grants totaling nearly $3 million. One grant totaling $1 million will fund research on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD, formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), announced Representative Joaquín Castro (D–Texas) at a press conference, reports Texas Public Radio.
Bulevirtide Plus Pegylated Interferon Can Maintain Undetectable Hepatitis D
About half of people treated with a higher dose of the antiviral bulevirtide (Hepcludex) plus pegylated interferon had a sustained undetectable hepatitis delta virus (HDV) viral load one year after completing treatment, according to study results presented Thursday at the European Association of the Study of the Liver’s EASL Congress 2024 and published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Revolutionary Advances in Liver Disease Research Unveiled at EASL Congress 2024
EASL Congress 2024, taking place in Milan and online and convened annually by the European Association for the Study of the Liver. , showcased new research that promises to transform the landscape of liver disease treatment. Some 7,000 scientists, doctors, public health officials, industry representatives and affected communities are attending the event which runs through until Saturday, 8 June. From innovative microbiota transplants to new drugs and intelligent testing platforms, these studies highlight significant advancements in the fight against liver diseases.
EASL Congress 2024: Combating Liver Disease Collectively
Liver disease has become one of the biggest health challenges of the 21st century, affecting over 1.5 billion individuals worldwide, claiming more than 2 million lives annually—equivalent to 4% of all deaths globally—and imposing a substantial economic and societal burden on nations. Remarkably, 90% of liver disease cases...
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Hep is the go-to sources for educational and social support for people living with liver diseases like hepatitis C, hepatitis B, hepatitis A and NASH. Launched in 2010, the website is devoted to combating the stigma and isolation surrounding liver diseases, and offers news, in-depth reporting, educational tools, care resources, and peer-to-peer networking.
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