Hepatitis B Virus Treatment Gaps in the US

Are patients who qualify for hepatitis B virus (HBV) therapy in the US receiving treatment?In this cross-sectional study of 8594 US patients with HBV infection, more than 40% of individuals with advanced liver disease had no evidence of treatment. Significantly lower levels of treatment were observed among female patients compared with male patients and among African American or Black patients, White patients, and patients of unknown or other races compared with Asian patients.These findings suggest a missed opportunity to prevent progression of HBV infection and highlight the need for better educational efforts.

Corresponding Author: Robert J. Wong, MD, MS, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Healthcare System, Stanford University School of Medicine, 3801 Miranda Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304 (rwong123@stanford.edu).

Link to the article in your story

We encourage you to link out to this article in your story using the link below. It includes an access token that will give free access to the article for your readers up to one year after publication. (The link will be live after the article publishes and embargo is lifted.)

Please see the article for additional information, including full author list, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

Need more information? Contact us.