REVIEW  IMPACT OF DIRECT ANTIVIRAL AGENTS (DAAS) ON EXTRAHEPATIC DISEASES IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS C 

Minerva Gastroenterology 2021 September;67(3):254-63

DOI: 10.23736/S2724-5985.21.02875-8

Copyright © 2021 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Impact of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) on cardiovascular diseases in patients with chronic hepatitis C

Grazia PENNISI ¹ ✉, Federica SPATOLA ¹, Lorenza DI MARCO ², Vincenzo DI MARTINO ¹, Vito DI MARCO ¹

¹ Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Health Promotion, Maternal Child, Internal and Specialist Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy; ² Unit of Gastroenterology, Department of Medical Specialties, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy

INTRODUCTION: In the last years the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was a relevant public health problem due to the large number of affected people worldwide and the impact on hepatic and extrahepatic complications. The availability of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) and the very high rate of sustained virological response (SVR) after treatment has radically changed the course of HCV chronic infection.
EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: We searched PubMed for articles published between January 1, 1995, through December 31, 2020, in English language.
EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Robust evidence showed a close link between HCV infection and development of cardiovascular disease (CVD), as result of the atherogenic effect of the virus.
CONCLUSIONS: This review aimed to explore the evidence linking HCV infection with cardiovascular disease and to evaluate the impact of SVR after DAAs on cardiovascular complications.

KEY WORDS: Hepatitis C, chronic; Cardiovascular diseases; Antiviral agents