The Latest Biology News And Medical NewsBiology News 2Health News 2Biology News 3Health News 3
HOME >> MEDICINE >> NEWS
African-Americans respond poorly to hepatitis C treatment

DURHAM, N.C. African-Americans have a significantly lower response rate to treatment for chronic hepatitis C than non-Hispanic whites, according to a new study led by Duke University Medical Center researchers.

Some African-Americans 19 percent did respond to the drug combination of peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin. But in non-Hispanic whites with the same disease, the hepatitis C genotype 1 virus strain, 52 percent had no evidence of the virus in their blood six months after completing the drug therapy one of the highest response rates ever reported for this therapy. The study showed the difference in infection rates between the two groups is not responsible for the low response rate to treatment in African-Americans.

"This study definitively proves that the difference in response rate is not due to the higher rate of genotype 1 infection in African-Americans," said Andrew Muir, M.D., lead author of the study and an assistant professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center. The results were published May 27, 2004, in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Muir recommends African-Americans consult their physicians about the decision to receive treatment for hepatitis C.

"These results should be discussed with African-American patients with hepatitis C. However, we must also let patients know that some African-Americans did respond to therapy, and African-American patients should continue to be considered for treatment," said Muir, a gastroenterologist.

The prospective study followed 100 African-American and 100 non-Hispanic white chronic hepatitis C patients during 48 weeks of drug treatment. The majority of both patient groups, 98 percent, had hepatitis C genotype 1, which has a lower response rate to treatment than other hepatitis C genotypes. This virus strain is the most common form of the hepatitis C in the United States and is the most difficult to treat, Muir said. An estimated 4 million people in th
'"/>

Contact: Becky Oskin
becky.oskin@duke.edu
919-684-4148
Duke University Medical Center
26-May-2004


Page: 1 2 3

Related medicine news :

1. Researchers say breast cancer in Africa may provide clues to the disease in African-Americans
2. African-Americans receive less aggressive heart attack treatment
3. African-Americans may need more medication to control asthma
4. Good medicine, good economics: African-Americans need equal treatment for pain, SLU study finds
5. Beliefs may hinder HIV prevention among African-Americans
6. Study suggests obesity has lesser financial impact on African-Americans
7. Sobering disparity: African-Americans receive less compensation for job-related back injuries
8. White physicians slower to prescribe HIV medications for African-Americans than for whites
9. Socio-economic factors sway African-Americans
10. African-Americans more likely to die of colon cancer
11. Depressive symptoms in middle-aged inner-city African-Americans higher than expected

Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
TAG: African Americans respond poorly hepatitis treatment

(Date:11/24/2009)...YORK,Nov.24/PRNewswire/-- Asyear-endapproaches,ma...taxesthisyearandnext.Tohelpyoutakeadvantageofthese...iorTaxAnalystatThomsonReuters,highlightsthefollowi..., Healthflexiblespendingaccounts(HealthFSAs) ...tytosavetaxesbyplacingfundsintheiremployer,shealth...
(Date:11/24/2009)...ESUCCESS,N.Y.,Nov.24/PRNewswire-USNewswire/--IPROh...ternationalqualitymanagementstandardfocusedonfulfi...ctionandcontinuallyimprovingbusinessperformance.Ce...cationServicesmeansIPRO,sQualityManagementSystem(Q...ationsatitsofficesinLakeSuccessandAlbany,NewYorkas...
(Date:11/24/2009)... Physician recruiting firm LocumTene...staffing, is pleased to announce its agreement wit...ide physicians for locum tenens assignments. , ...ber 24, 2009 -- Physician recruiting firm Locum...cian staffing, is pleased to announce its agreemen...
(Date:11/24/2009)... The molecular cause of inflammatory...ll be presented at the upcoming 2009 Advances in I...; Colitis Foundation’s Clinical & Resear... that may identify a causative mutation for Crohn&...rk, NY (Vocus) November 24, 2009 -- The molecular ...
(Date:11/24/2009)...RISBURG,Pa.,Nov.24/PRNewswire-USNewswire/--Governo...niansat-riskfortheH1N1fluwerevaccinatedduringthewe...lthandlocalhealthdepartments. ,, "Withthefedera...ectionsregardingtheavailabilityofH1N1vaccine,distr...erall,wearepleasedwiththeH1N1vaccinedistributionpr...
Breaking Medicine News(10 mins):Health News:The Right Tax Moves for Employees to Make Before Year-End 2Health News:The Right Tax Moves for Employees to Make Before Year-End 3Health News:IPRO Earns Third Consecutive Quality Management Certification 2Health News:VHA Names LocumTenens.com as Preferred Physician Staffing Vendor 2Health News:Researchers Identify Possible Causative Mutation for Crohn's Disease: Crohn's & Colitis Foundation Annual Conference to Present Emerging Research 2Health News:Researchers Identify Possible Causative Mutation for Crohn's Disease: Crohn's & Colitis Foundation Annual Conference to Present Emerging Research 3Health News:Researchers Identify Possible Causative Mutation for Crohn's Disease: Crohn's & Colitis Foundation Annual Conference to Present Emerging Research 4Health News:Governor Rendell Announces 100,000 At-Risk Pennsylvanians Vaccinated at H1N1 Public Health Clinics; Addresses Future Vaccine Distribution Plans 2
(Date:11/24/2009)..., FREMONT,Calif.,Nov.24/PRNewswire-FirstCall/--V...CompanyfileditsPlanofReorganizationandDisclosureSt...nkruptcyCourtfortheDistrictofDelaware.Ahearingtoco...cheduledforDecember8,2009,withthehearingontheconfi...hePlancallsfortheCompanytopayallclaimsinfull.ThePl...
(Date:11/24/2009)..., SANDIEGO,Nov.24/PRNewswire/--Accumetrics,Inc.,...#174;System,thefirstrapidandeasy-to-usediagnostics...ntiplateletagents(e.g.Plavix®andaspirin),anno...metrics,andGregoryJ.Tibbitts,ChiefFinancialOfficer...the21stAnnualPiperJaffrayHealthCareConferencebeing...
(Date:11/24/2009)..., SANDIEGO,Nov.24/PRNewswire/--AmbitBiosciencesC...sentationsevaluatingAC220,anovelsecondgenerationFL...ogyAnnualMeeting(ASH)tobeheldinNewOrleans,LA,Decem...fromanongoingclinicalPhaseImonotherapysafetystudyi...non-clinicaldatawillbepresentedevaluatingtheeffect...
Breaking Medicine Technology:Vermillion Files Plan of Reorganization 2Vermillion Files Plan of Reorganization 3Accumetrics to Present at the 21st Annual Piper Jaffray Health Care Conference 2Ambit Biosciences Corporation Announces Presentations Profiling AC220 Clinical and Non-Clinical Data at 51st American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting 2Ambit Biosciences Corporation Announces Presentations Profiling AC220 Clinical and Non-Clinical Data at 51st American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting 3Private Care Association of Floridas Elects Jim Mark as Vice President 58579 1Private Care Association of Floridas Elects Jim Mark as Vice President 58579 2Video 3A Worksite Wellness Programs Lower Healthcare Costs Make Employees Healthier 58577 1Video 3A Worksite Wellness Programs Lower Healthcare Costs Make Employees Healthier 58577 2Video 3A Worksite Wellness Programs Lower Healthcare Costs Make Employees Healthier 58577 3Video 3A Worksite Wellness Programs Lower Healthcare Costs Make Employees Healthier 58577 4Heartland Information Services Appoints New Chief Executive Officer 58575 1Heartland Information Services Appoints New Chief Executive Officer 58575 2
Other News:
...ution is linked to increased rates of death from c...ted today at the American Heart Association's Scie...ollution has been associated with various health-r... air pollution to cardiovascular disease," said le...
...personal relationships may have increased risk of ...ay at the American Heart Association's Scientific ...t influence successful aging, researchers found th...tion was linked to increased levels of C-reactive ...
...U Child Study Center will host its sixth annual di...nd Michael Fascitelli, this year's dinner, "Giving...e remarkable advances researchers from the Child S...h which, in turn, will help children suffering wit...
...To:...Medical and health reporters/producers... ...Subject:...Press Webcast and Teleconference (MEDMARX B-roll also available)... ...The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) will release its annual rep
health news:Air pollution, even at 'safe' levels, is bad for the heart 2health news:Mens social isolation linked to higher heart disease risk 2health news:Mens social isolation linked to higher heart disease risk 3health news:USP to release fourth annual report on medication errors in US hospitals 2
... a 24 week study, investigating the safety and eff...nal antibody) monotherapy in patients with active ... methotrexate, has been announced today at the Ann..., Netherlands.......The double blind phase III stu...
...ountries, 25% of people report having heartburn at...nd 5% describe daily symptoms, state the authors o......Heartburn results from gastro-oesophageal reflu...h are pushed up into the oesophagus. Heartburn is ...
... Older stored blood transfused into patients unde...ignificant increased risk of death, both during a ...ollowing discharge, according to a new analysis by...nd Columbia University.......Use of older blood al...
...23 June 2006. The US approval of TMC114 (darunavir... the opportunity to build a potent new treatment c...irtide) that can successfully combat the HIV virus...hown that up to two-thirds of patients with extens...
health news:New study reveals Tocilizumab in monotherapy significantly improves signs and symptoms of active RA 2health news:Older blood associated with worse outcomes after repeat heart surgery 2health news:Older blood associated with worse outcomes after repeat heart surgery 3health news:World's first approval of new HIV drug TMC114 provides potent new treatment option with FUZEON 2