Health-related quality of life improves after entecavir treatment in patients with compensated HBV cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Antiviral therapy is effective in decreasing disease progression in HBV cirrhosis. However, the long-term effect of antiviral therapy on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with compensated HBV cirrhosis is unknown.

METHODS

The patients with compensated HBV cirrhosis enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of entecavir-based therapy were recruited in the present study, if they had HRQoL score at 5-year follow-up or who developed liver-related events (LRE) during follow-up were included. HRQoL was measured with 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) at baseline and yearly during follow-up. LRE was defined as the development of decompensation, HCC, or death.

RESULTS

A total of 161 patients were included in the present study, with a median age of 48.0 (41.0, 53.0) years, 77.6% being male and 37.2% being HBeAg-positive. During 5 years, 45 patients developed LRE. All eight dimensions of SF-36 were significantly improved after 5 years of antiviral therapy (all p < 0.001), with all dimensions improved more than five points except for physical functioning. Proportion of patients reporting no problems in all five dimensions in EQ-5D increased from 57.8 to 72.0%; visual analogue scale (VAS) and utility index (UI) increased significantly (VAS 79.8 ± 16.4 to 84.4 ± 13.2, UI 0.91 ± 0.13 to 0.95 ± 0.10, both p < 0.001). HRQoL improved or kept stable in the majority of patients who had LRE during follow-up, even stratified by Baveno VI criteria for clinically significant portal hypertension.

CONCLUSION

After 5 years of ETV treatment, HRQoL significantly improved in patients with compensated HBV cirrhosis. (NCT01943617, NCT02849132).