META-ANALYSIS OF QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG PATIENTS WITH HEPATITIS C WITH OR WITHOUT SUSTAINED VIROLOGICAL RESPONSE
Author(s)
Chong H Kim, MPH, MS, PhD1, Marvin Rock, MPH, DrPH1, Barinder Singh, MPharm2, Shubhram Pandey, MSc2, Sumeet Attri, MPharm2;
1Gilead Sciences, Inc., Foster City, CA, USA, 2Pharmacoevidence Private Limited, Mohali, India
1Gilead Sciences, Inc., Foster City, CA, USA, 2Pharmacoevidence Private Limited, Mohali, India
OBJECTIVES: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with poor quality of life (QoL) due to persistent symptoms and liver-related complications. Achieving sustained virologic response (SVR) through treatment may improve QoL by reducing viral activity and disease burden. This systematic literature review and meta-analysis evaluated QoL differences between patients with HCV who achieved SVR and those who did not (non-SVR).
METHODS: EMBASE and PubMed were searched from inception to April 2025 for English-language studies reporting QoL among adult patients with hepatitis. Studies directly comparing QoL among SVR and non-SVR groups were eligible for meta-analysis. Pooled effect estimate (weighted mean difference, WMD) was calculated using absolute mean difference (AMD) and change from baseline (CFB) in STATA v18.5-SE.
RESULTS: Among 1,551 citations screened, 124 studies were included, of which 9 were suitable for meta-analysis (Short Form-36 [SF-36], n = 7; Hepatitis Quality of Life Questionnaire, n = 2). Compared with SVR patients, non-SVR patients had significantly lower scores on all SF-36 domains, indicating worse QoL. Lower scores on the physical component summary (PCS; WMD AMD: −3.26; 95% CI: −4.73, −1.79; n = 6) and mental component summary domains (WMD AMD: −3.27; 95% CI: −6.81, 0.27; n = 5) reflected poor QoL among non-SVR patients, with statistical significance achieved only in the PCS domain. Further, non-SVR patients reported significantly lower scores on hepatitis-specific subdomains, including health distress (WMD CFB: −10.81; 95% CI: −14.87, −6.75) and limitation (WMD CFB: −6.37; 95% CI: −10.06, −2.69), compared with SVR patients, indicating better QoL among SVR patients. Clinically meaningful differences of ≥5 were observed in SF-36 general health and hepatitis-specific health distress subdomains.
CONCLUSIONS: Patients with HCV achieving SVR reported better QoL across physical, mental, and hepatitis-specific domains. These findings highlight SVR as a key determinant of improved patient well-being and underscore the importance of treatment strategies that maximize virologic clearance.
METHODS: EMBASE and PubMed were searched from inception to April 2025 for English-language studies reporting QoL among adult patients with hepatitis. Studies directly comparing QoL among SVR and non-SVR groups were eligible for meta-analysis. Pooled effect estimate (weighted mean difference, WMD) was calculated using absolute mean difference (AMD) and change from baseline (CFB) in STATA v18.5-SE.
RESULTS: Among 1,551 citations screened, 124 studies were included, of which 9 were suitable for meta-analysis (Short Form-36 [SF-36], n = 7; Hepatitis Quality of Life Questionnaire, n = 2). Compared with SVR patients, non-SVR patients had significantly lower scores on all SF-36 domains, indicating worse QoL. Lower scores on the physical component summary (PCS; WMD AMD: −3.26; 95% CI: −4.73, −1.79; n = 6) and mental component summary domains (WMD AMD: −3.27; 95% CI: −6.81, 0.27; n = 5) reflected poor QoL among non-SVR patients, with statistical significance achieved only in the PCS domain. Further, non-SVR patients reported significantly lower scores on hepatitis-specific subdomains, including health distress (WMD CFB: −10.81; 95% CI: −14.87, −6.75) and limitation (WMD CFB: −6.37; 95% CI: −10.06, −2.69), compared with SVR patients, indicating better QoL among SVR patients. Clinically meaningful differences of ≥5 were observed in SF-36 general health and hepatitis-specific health distress subdomains.
CONCLUSIONS: Patients with HCV achieving SVR reported better QoL across physical, mental, and hepatitis-specific domains. These findings highlight SVR as a key determinant of improved patient well-being and underscore the importance of treatment strategies that maximize virologic clearance.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-05, ISPOR 2026, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue S6
Code
PCR126
Topic
Patient-Centered Research
Topic Subcategory
Patient-reported Outcomes & Quality of Life Outcomes
Disease
SDC: Infectious Disease (non-vaccine)