As
reported in the December 2007 Journal of Viral Hepatitis, researchers conducted
a study to determine the prevalence of psychiatric conditions and substance abuse
among 12,926 veterans with hepatitis C treated at a Veterans Administration (VA)
medical facility and an equal number of HCV-uninfected control subjects
Demographic
and comorbidity data were retrieved from the VA National Patient Care Database
using ICD-9 codes. Logistic regression was used to determine the odds of comorbid
conditions in the HCV-infected patients. HCV-uninfected control subjects were
matched by age, race/ethnicity, and sex.
Results
•
The
HCV-infected patients had a higher prevalence of diabetes, anemia, hypertension,
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma, liver cirrhosis, hepatitis
B, and cancer than the uninfected control subjects.
•
By
contrast, the HCV patients had a lower prevalence of coronary artery disease and
stroke.
•
The
prevalence of all psychiatric comorbidities and substance abuse was higher in
the HCV-infected patients than the control subjects.
•
After
adjusting for alcohol and drug abuse and dependence, however, the odds of psychiatric
illness were not higher for the HCV-infected individuals.
Conclusion
In
conclusion, the authors wrote, "The prevalence and patterns of comorbidities
in HCV-infected veterans are different from those in HCV-uninfected controls."
"The
association between HCV and psychiatric diagnoses is at least partly attributable
to alcohol and drug abuse and dependence," they added. "These factors
should be taken into account when evaluating patients for treatment and designing
new intervention strategies."
University of Pittsburgh School of
Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA; VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA; Center
for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Pittsburgh, PA.
01/08/08
Reference AA
Butt, UA Khan, KA McGinnis. Co-morbid medical and psychiatric illness and substance
abuse in HCV-infected and uninfected veterans. Journal of Viral Hepatitis
14(12): 890-896. December 2007.
Psychiatric
Illness and Substance Use in Veterans with and without Hepatitis C 
The
presence of 
As
reported in the December 2007 Journal of Viral Hepatitis, researchers conducted
a study to determine the prevalence of psychiatric conditions and substance abuse
among 12,926 veterans with hepatitis C treated at a Veterans Administration (VA)
medical facility and an equal number of HCV-uninfected control subjects 
