This is an interesting and important study that sheds light on the
sobering statistics of liver disease (HBV, HCV and alcohol) worldwide
should be a call to action for governments and advocates worldwide.
–AF
Presented November 3, 2013, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Researchers
from Australia presented their research on the underlying causes of
liver cancer and cirrhosis deaths at the Annual Meeting of the American
Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, concluding that these two
diseases result in 1.75 million deaths each year. Viral hepatitis
caused two thirds of those deaths. "If you consider deaths from
hepatitis B and C together, said Benjamin Cowie, MBBS, PhD, FRACP, "the
Global Burden of Death Study (GBD) 2010 estimates around 1.3 million
people lost their lives to these infections, which is comparable to the
respective burdens of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria."
This is the first study to categorize deaths
attributable to viral hepatitis, alcohol, and other causes of cirrhosis
and liver cancer separately. "This allows examination of the specific
mortality associated with each condition, which clearly has great
importance when considering interventions to address the population
impact of liver disease in particular countries or regions, as well as
globally," said Dr. Cowie.
According to the study, chronic
liver disease is a leading cause of human mortality. Hepatitis B and C
are responsible for 71 percent of liver cancer deaths and 58 percent of
cirrhosis deaths, whereas alcohol is responsible for 25 percent of all
deaths caused by liver cancer and cirrhosis. The toll taken by
hepatitis B and C differs by region with hepatitis C causing a greater
number of deaths in the US and Western Europe, and hepatitis B causing
more deaths in China and India.
In addition to recommending a
greater priority to be given to viral hepatitis globally, the regional
differences in the predominant cause of chronic liver disease —
hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and alcohol abuse — prompted the study
authors to recommend prevention responses to be specific to regional
needs.
"I think that there is clear
evidence that in many countries, and at the global level, political and
public health responses to chronic liver disease have not been
commensurate with the burden of disease. This is especially the case for
chronic viral hepatitis, said Dr. Cowie. "In Australia, for example,
liver cancer is now the fastest increasing cause of cancer death —
predominantly driven by chronic viral hepatitis — and less than 5% of
people living with chronic viral hepatitis are currently receiving
treatment."
"The GBD 2010 data suggest that addressing the
global burden of liver disease, particularly chronic viral hepatitis,
would be a fundamental step towards addressing a major cause of
preventable deaths worldwide, concludes Dr. Cowie.
The 2010 GBD is the most recent
version of the study and was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation and coordinated by the Institute for Health Metrics and
Evaluation (IHME) at theUniversity of Washington. The GBD is a
comprehensive regional and global assessment of mortality and
disability from major diseases, injuries, and risk factors. The study
is a collaborative effort between hundreds of experts worldwide. The
study was published and can be found on the IHME website at
www.healthmetricsandevaluation.org/gbd.
Abstract title:
The global burden of liver
disease attributable to hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and alcohol:
increasing mortality, differing causes
AASLD is the leading medical
organization for advancing the science and practice of hepatology.
Founded by physicians in 1950, AASLD's vision is to prevent and cure
liver diseases. This year's Liver Meeting®, held
in Washington, November 2-5, will bring together more than 9,000
researchers from 55 countries.
A pressroom
will be available from November 1 at the annual meeting. For copies of
abstracts and press releases, or to arrange researcher interviews,
contact Gregory Bologna at 703-299-9766.
Press releases and all abstracts are available online at
www.aasld.org.
Media Contact: Gregory Bologna
703/299-9766
gbologna@aasld.org
Press Room: November 1 – 5, 2013
Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC
Telephone: (202) 249-4092
Researcher: Benjamin Cowie, MBBS, PhD, FRACP
Email:
benjamin.cowie@mh.org.au
Phone: (415) 539-5275
This release was issued through
The Xpress Press News Service, merging e-mail and satellite
distribution technologies to reach business analysts and media outlets
worldwide. For more information, visit
http://www.XpressPress.com.
SOURCE American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD)
Labels: burden of the disease, chronic liver disease, epidemiology, mortality statistics