Beliefs
about Disease Severity and Lifestyle Changes among Patients with Chronic Hepatitis
C By
Liz Highleyman It
is important that individuals with hepatitis C
received accurate information about their disease, so that they may have realistic
expectations about outcomes and make appropriate lifestyle changes. As
reported in the July 2006 Journal of Viral Hepatitis, French researchers
asked 185 patients with chronic hepatitis C to complete questionnaires about their
beliefs regarding hepatitis C severity and lifestyle changes they had made after
their diagnosis. Results  
Most patients (93%) identified cirrhosis
and liver cancer as the two
main complications of chronic hepatitis C.
More than half of patients (59%) thought chronic hepatitis C was always associated
with a fatal outcome, whereas 3% thought they would stay healthy. (In fact, about
three-quarters or more of chronic hepatitis C patients will not develop severe
liver disease, and treatment can further reduce the risk).
HCV viral load was the most
commonly reported factor associated with disease severity. (In fact -- in contrast
with HIV -- most studies show little or no
correlation between HCV RNA level and liver disease severity, though viral load
does influence response to treatment).
107 patients (58%) reported changes in their sex lives. (Sexual transmission of
HCV among monogamous heterosexual couples is rare -- less than 5% in most studies
-- but it appears to occur more frequently among men who have sex with men and
people coinfected with HIV).
88 patients (48%) reported dietary changes. (While people with hepatitis C should
eat a healthy diet, experts no longer recommend changes such as restricted protein
intake, except in certain cases of symptomatic cirrhosis; alcohol cessation, however,
is advised.)
In a multivariate analysis, changes in sex life were associated with male gender
(OR 2.57; 95% CI 1.30-5.08; P < 0.007), perceived disease severity (OR
1.02; 95% CI 1.00-1.03; P < 0.03), and anxiety (OR 1.05; 95% CI 1.01-1.08;
P < 0.003).
Dietary changes were associated with age (OR 1.04; 95% CI 1.02-1.08; P
< 0.003) and anxiety (OR 1.04; 95% CI 1.01-1.08; P < 0.006).
Conclusion In
conclusion, the authors wrote, "Our results show the considerable impact
of [chronic hepatitis C] diagnosis on patients' lifestyle. They emphasize the
need for improving [chronic hepatitis C] patient counseling in order to avoid
unnecessary sex life and dietary intake changes." In
addition to avoiding unneeded lifestyle changes, better education could also reduce
patients' anxiety stemming from misconceptions about the likelihood of adverse
disease outcomes. 8/01/06 Reference
L
Castera, P H Bernard, V de Ledinghen V, and others. Lifestyle changes and beliefs
regarding disease severity in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Journal of
Viral Hepatitis 13(7): 482-488. July 2006. | 
