Changes in Liver Stiffness and Markers of Liver Synthesis and Portal Hypertension Following Hepatitis C Virus Eradication in Cirrhotic Individuals

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Liver cirrhosis is a dynamic process that may display improvements when the etiological factor is removed. In this retrospective study of HCV-cured cirrhotic patients, we evaluated changes in liver synthesis, surrogate markers of portal hypertension as well as liver stiffness before starting the antiviral treatment and following successful viral eradication. ABSTRACT: The advent of direct antiviral agents (DAAs) has radically changed the natural history of hepatitis C virus (HCV) chronic liver disease. Even patients with cirrhosis may display improvements in liver function or features of portal hypertension following viral eradication. The aim of this study was to assess whether a HCV cure would lead to improvements in cirrhotic patients using simple, readily available tools in clinical practice, together with liver stiffness (LS) measurement. This is a retrospective study of cirrhotic patients with cured HCV infection, with or without previous decompensation. Clinical and biochemical parameters as well as LS measurements were collected before antiviral treatment with DAAs and after 6 months following sustained virological response. Hepatic synthesis was assessed by serum albumin levels. Portal hypertension was indirectly assessed by platelet count. Liver function was determined by the CHILD score. A total of 373 cirrhotic patients with successful HCV eradication were retrospectively included. After 6 months of follow-up, a significantly higher proportion of patients showed improved liver function, shifting from the CHILD B/C to CHILD A group, (71.4%, p < 0.001). Similarly, LS improved from a median of 19.3 kPa (14.7–27) at the baseline vs. a median of 11.6 (7.7–16.8 kPa) at follow-up (p < 0.001). The proportion of patients who showed improved hepatic synthesis was 66.0%, which was statistically different when compared to that of patients who had a worsened condition (0.3%) (p < 0.001). Moreover, when classifying the cohort according to the RESIST-HCV score, we found that a significant proportion of patients shifted into the “low risk” group following DAA treatment (52% baseline vs. 45.6% at follow-up, p = 0.004). Even in the decompensated patients, LS improved from 1.6 to 2-fold from the baseline. Antiviral treatment is effective in improving indirect signs of hepatic synthesis and portal hypertension. Similarly, the LS values displayed significant improvements, even in decompensated patients

How do cardiologists select patients for dual antiplatelet therapy continuation beyond 1 year after a myocardial infarction? Insights from the EYESHOT Post-MI Study

Background: Current guidelines suggest to consider dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) continuation for longer than 12 months in selected patients with myocardial infarction (MI). Hypothesis: We sought to assess the criteria used by cardiologists in daily practice to select patients with a history of MI eligible for DAPT continuation beyond 1 year. Methods: We analyzed data from the EYESHOT Post-MI, a prospective, observational, nationwide study aimed to evaluate the management of patients presenting to cardiologists 1 to 3 years from the last MI event. Results: Out of the 1633 post-MI patients enrolled in the study between March and December 2017, 557 (34.1%) were on DAPT at the time of enrolment, and 450 (27.6%) were prescribed DAPT after cardiologist assessment. At multivariate analyses, a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with multiple stents and the presence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) resulted as independent predictors of DAPT continuation, while atrial fibrillation was the only independent predictor of DAPT interruption for patients both at the second and the third year from MI at enrolment and the time of discharge/end of the visit. Conclusions: Risk scores recommended by current guidelines for guiding decisions on DAPT duration are underused and misused in clinical practice. A PCI with multiple stents and a history of PAD resulted as the clinical variables more frequently associated with DAPT continuation beyond 1 year from the index MI