Coffee Slows sequence of Hep C Liver Disease

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People living with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) disease and advanced liver disease who drink three or more cups of coffee per day have a 53 percent lower risk of liver disease series than non-coffee drinkers, according to a new study in print in the November issue of Hepatology. According to the paper, authored by Neal Freedman, PhD, MPH, of the National Cancer Institute and his colleagues, patients with hepatitis C–connected bridging fibrosis or cirrhosis who did not respond to standard treatment benefited from enlarged coffee intake.

This study included 766 participants enroll in the Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-Term Treatment beside Cirrhosis (HALT-C) trial who had hepatitis C–related bridging fibrosis or cirrhosis and failed to react to standard treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. Upon entering the study, HALT-C volunteers were asked to statement their typical frequency of coffee intake and portion size over the past year. A alike question was asked for black and green tea intake.

Participants were seen every three months during the 3.8–year study period to assess clinical outcome that included: ascites, prognosis of chronic liver disease, death associated to liver disease, hepatic encephalopathy, hepatocellular carcinoma, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, variceal hemorrhage and/or increase in fibrosis. Liver biopsies were also in use at 1.5 and 3.5 years to decide the progression of liver disease. Results showed that participant who drank three or more cups of coffee per day had a relative risk (RR) of 0.47 for attainment one of the clinical outcomes. An RR above 1.00 suggests an enlarge in the risk of disease progression, whereas an RR below 1.00 suggests a reduce in the risk of disease progression.

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