Documented Reasons for Not Treating Hepatitis C in 179 Patients
| Reason | No. (%) |
|---|---|
| ALT = alanine aminotranserase; AST = aspartate aminotransferase; NIH = National Institutes of Health; HIV = human immunodeficiency virus. | |
| * Potentially reversible comorbidities, n = 80. | |
| † Comorbidities include malignancies under treatment, previous cardiac or renal transplant, ongoing renal dialysis, diabetes with severe complication, vasculitis, multiple sclerosis–progression, ulcerative colitis, debilitating migraine headache, aortic aneurysm. | |
| ‡ The 179 patients represent 49% of the total 366 study patients. | |
| Alcohol and drug abuse with or without depression* | 34 (19) |
| Severe comorbidity† | 28 (16) |
| Depression without chemical dependency* | 25 (14) |
| Refused – no further specifications | 23 (13) |
| ALT, AST normal levels (NIH guidelines 1997) | 19 (11) |
| No trial available, no money, no insurance* | 15 (8) |
| Old age (70–85 y) | 12 (7) |
| End-stage liver disease or cirrhosis | 11 (6) |
| Pregnant at diagnosis, treatment not reconsidered* | 3 (2) |
| End-stage HIV infection, with or without hemophilia | 3 (2) |
| Severe language barrier* | 3 (2) |
| Acute hepatitis C | 3 (2) |
| Total‡ | 179 (100) |