— Christine M. Kukka, Project Manager, HBV Advocate
Doctors have found signs of kidney problems in hepatitis B patients
treated with antivirals, which reduce the ability of HBV to replicate,
and have suspected that renal (kidney) function could be affected by
the medication.
However, a new study, published in the February issue of the journal Liver International,
found that kidney problems were quite prevalent—affecting 64.6% of 268
untreated hepatitis B patients, many of whom had inactive infection.
The doctors, based in France, followed the
patients (58% male, average age 47) over two years. Among them, 59.6%
were "inactive" carriers.
"Renal (kidney) abnormalities are highly prevalent in
our population and pre-exist before the initiation of any
anti-hepatitis B virus treatment," they wrote. This emphasizes the need
for:
- A baseline renal evaluation in all patients
- And regular kidney function monitoring before and during
treatment to diagnose and manage any kidney impairment and adjust
medication doses as needed.
Labels: CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease)
