Health-related quality of life on the clinical course of patients with chronic hepatitis C receiving daclatasvir/asunaprevir therapy: A prospective observational study comparing younger patients

Interferon-free direct acting antiviral agent regimens for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) have been developed. These regimens have shown a high rate of sustained virologic response (SVR), and a reduction in side effects during treatment is also anticipated. However, the impact of the regimens on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and side effects during treatment is not fully understood. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate HRQOL in the clinical course of patients with CHC receiving daclatasvir/asunaprevir (DCV/ASV) therapy using the Short Form-36 (SF-36) method. Twenty-eight patients with CHC receiving DCV/ASV therapy were analyzed in the present study, and HRQOL was measured by SF-36. Patients were asked to fill out the SF-36 prior to therapy (baseline), following 12 weeks of therapy, at the end of treatment and at SVR week 24 (SVR24) to evaluate HRQOL. Laboratory data were also investigated during the same period, and associations between these results and SF-36 were investigated. Aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, serum albumin, [alpha]-fetoprotein, platelet counts and Fibrosis (Fib)-4 index were all significantly improved at each time point when compared with baseline. With regard to alterations in HRQOL during therapy, the [greater than or equal to] 70-year-old group displayed a significantly greater improvement in physical functioning during the period between baseline and 12 weeks when compared with the