Journal of Medical Virology
Volume 88, Issue 6, 2016, Pages 1044-1050

Epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection in a large Israeli health maintenance organization (Article)

Weil C.* , Nwankwo C. , Friedman M. , Kenet G. , Chodick G. , Shalev V.
  • a Epidemiology and Database Research, Maccabi Healthcare Services, Tel Aviv, Israel
  • b Global Health Outcomes, Merck and Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, United States
  • c Epidemiology and Database Research, Maccabi Healthcare Services, Tel Aviv, Israel, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
  • d Epidemiology and Database Research, Maccabi Healthcare Services, Tel Aviv, Israel
  • e Epidemiology and Database Research, Maccabi Healthcare Services, Tel Aviv, Israel, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
  • f Epidemiology and Database Research, Maccabi Healthcare Services, Tel Aviv, Israel, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

Abstract

Hepatitis C affects an estimated 130 million people worldwide and is a major cause of chronic liver disease. This retrospective database study aims to describe the epidemiology of HCV-infected patients in Maccabi Healthcare Services, a 2-million-member health maintenance organization in Israel. HCV was identified by cross-linking diagnoses, laboratory data, and dispensed HCV treatment (1993-2013). The point-prevalence of HCV in 2012 and annual incidence of newly-diagnosed HCV during 2003-2012 (index period) were calculated. The age-adjusted prevalence of HCV was 5.19/1,000 population (n=10,648). The highest prevalence was found among males and in patients aged 35-54 years. Two thirds of HCV-infected patients were immigrants from the former Soviet Union (FSU). HCV genotype 1 was predominant (67%). A total of 6,150 patients were newly diagnosed with HCV infection during the index period. The age-standardized rate of newly-diagnosed HCV declined from over 50/100,000 (2003) to 15/100,000 (2012). This rate was highest in males from the FSU, particularly for birth cohorts in 1950-70. The study results suggest that the reported incidence of HCV infection in Israel is declining, while prevalence is particularly high among FSU immigrants and genotype 1 is predominant. As the HCV treatment landscape evolves, these estimates can inform future studies and health technology assessments. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Author Keywords

Healthcare utilization HCV genotype Comorbidities Incidence Antiviral therapy Prevalence

Index Keywords

genetics genotype disease classification immigrant Israel demography human sex difference middle aged cross linking Health Maintenance Organizations Hepatitis C virus Aged USSR Hepatitis C, Chronic ethnology epidemiological data Young Adult Humans migrant Adolescent Epidemiological Monitoring male Emigrants and Immigrants female risk factor prevalence health maintenance organization Incidence Article Retrospective Studies major clinical study adult age distribution retrospective study body mass Hepacivirus hepatitis C
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84947755517&doi=10.1002%2fjmv.24426&partnerID=40&md5=b156621984751e1fcf0321faef53cc99
DOI: 10.1002/jmv.24426
ISSN: 01466615
Cited by: 6
Original Language: English