HIV and Hepatitis C

Vincent Lo Re of the University of Pennsylvania. 

Image ©Liz Highleyman / hivandhepatitis.com

People co-infected with HIV and hepatitis C continue to have a higher risk of serious liver disease than those who only have hepatitis C.

Researchers in the US compared rates of liver disease and liver-related death between co-infected and hepatitis C-monoinfected people.

Importantly, the co-infected participants were on HIV treatment, which has previously been shown to slow the progression of liver disease.

Co-infected people were at approximately twice the risk of developing decompensated liver disease and 69% more likely to progress to liver cancer.

An undetectable HIV viral load reduced the risk of liver disease, but even with HIV suppression outcomes were still poorer in co-infected people compared to those who only had hepatitis C.