A new study finds that antivirals help prolong survival and improve liver health even in patients with severe liver damage and scarring (decompensated cirrhosis) who qualify for liver transplants.
A study in Japan, reported in the January 2015 issue ofHepatology, found that antiviral treatment improved five-year survival, enabled 49.1% of those treated to lose HBeAg and develop "e" antibodies, and allowed 33.9% of patients to get off liver transplant wait lists because of their improved liver health.
The study followed 707 patients with decompensated cirrhosis, including 284 untreated patients and 423 patients treated with antivirals.
Despite their poor liver health and prognosis, the antiviral-treated patients needed fewer transplants and 59.7% survived beyond five years, compared to 46% of untreated patients.
Patients treated early with antivirals had better outcomes than those with delayed treatment, researchers noted.
"Antiviral therapy significantly modifies the natural history of decompensated cirrhosis, improving liver function and increasing survival," they wrote. "The results underscore the importance of promptly administering potent antiviral drugs to patients under consideration for liver transplants."
