Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most common bloodborne infection in the United States, affecting more than three million Americans. HCV-infected patients are much more likely than the general U.S. population to develop life-threatening complications, such as cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although antiviral treatment can cure HCV infection, these therapies have historically had low efficacy rates and significant toxicities.

HAMPTON ROADS, VA — The recent Food and Drug Administration approval of eltrombopag to boost thrombocytopenia, or low platelet counts, in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) may permit thousands more veterans to start standard therapy for the disease.

LOS ANGELES — The approval last year of the first new drugs for treatment of hepatitis C (HCV) in 20 years substantially increased the rate of virologic cure for patients with the most common form of the disease. At the same time, the complex regime of medications has made adherence more difficult, increased the likelihood of development of treatment-resistant strains of HCV and made the role of the pharmacist in HCV management more important than ever.

Rural veterans with hepatitis C (HCV) could live hours from a medical center that provides specialty treatment for the disease. Through the VA Connecticut Healthcare System’s telemedicine initiative, however, specialists are training primary-care practitioners to deliver high quality HCV care close to home for patients.

Since its discovery in the early 1980s, hepatitis E has been a potent threat to military forces around the world.

Alarmed by a near tripling of the number of veterans developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) during the past five years, VA has strengthened its programs for the prevention, screening and treatment of veterans with hepatitis C (HCV), which is a major risk for developing the cancer. VA also is revamping practice guidelines for the use of promising new drugs.

WEST HAVEN, CONN. — Over the last few years, telemedicine has partially redefined how health care is delivered to patients, especially those who do not live near medical centers. For the most part, it has been a one-to-one exchange. One patient communicates with one physician, or one physician communicates with a specialist at another facility.

It may be possible to predict a soldier’s infection risks during and after strenuous physical exercise by pre-exercise immune system status or from a blood sample taken at rest, according to a recent study.¹