UNITED KINGDOM: Programs May Curb Hepatitis C in Drug Users

[Guest guest]

CDC 07-28-11

UNITED KINGDOM: " Programs May Curb Hepatitis C in Drug Users "

Reuters Health (06.29.11):: Amy Norton

A recent report offers fresh evidence that needle-exchange programs (NEPs) and

opiate substitution therapy (OST) can reduce injection drug users’ (IDUs) odds

of contracting hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Senior researcher Hickman, a professor of public health at the

University of Bristol, and colleagues pooled the results of six previous studies

of UK programs (based in Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds, London, and

Wales). The results showed that IDUs with the highest coverage of NEPs were

about half as likely to contract HCV as others.

Among the group of IDUs who said they accessed enough clean needles for all

their injections, slightly less than 4 percent tested HCV-positive during the

studies, which lasted as long as one year. This compares to 7 percent for IDUs

who said they did not receive clean needles for all their injections.

Among IDUs who were currently on OST, the rate of new HCV infection was 3

percent, compared to 7 percent for those not on OST.

For IDUs who were participating in NEPs and OST, the new HCV infection rate was

just 2 percent.

The authors noted the study’s limitations, including that its findings are based

on small numbers and concerned only UK programs. Still, Hickman believes the

work fills some knowledge gaps relating to how well IDU programs are working.

One question for future research, Hickman said, is whether treating HCV

infection in IDUs helps reduce onward transmission.

The authors concluded, “There is good evidence that uptake of opiate

substitution therapy and high coverage of needle and syringe programs can

substantially reduce the risk of HCV transmission among IDUs. Research is

required now on whether the scaling-up of intervention exposure can reduce and

limit HCV prevalence in this population.”

The study, “The Impact of Needle and Syringe Provision and Opiate Substitution

Therapy on the Incidence of Hepatitis C Virus in Injecting Drug Users: Pooling

of UK Evidence,” was published in Addiction

(2011;doi:10.1111/j.1360-0442.2011.03515.x).

[Guest guest]

CDC 07-28-11

UNITED KINGDOM: " Programs May Curb Hepatitis C in Drug Users "

Reuters Health (06.29.11):: Amy Norton

A recent report offers fresh evidence that needle-exchange programs (NEPs) and

opiate substitution therapy (OST) can reduce injection drug users’ (IDUs) odds

of contracting hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Senior researcher Hickman, a professor of public health at the

University of Bristol, and colleagues pooled the results of six previous studies

of UK programs (based in Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds, London, and

Wales). The results showed that IDUs with the highest coverage of NEPs were

about half as likely to contract HCV as others.

Among the group of IDUs who said they accessed enough clean needles for all

their injections, slightly less than 4 percent tested HCV-positive during the

studies, which lasted as long as one year. This compares to 7 percent for IDUs

who said they did not receive clean needles for all their injections.

Among IDUs who were currently on OST, the rate of new HCV infection was 3

percent, compared to 7 percent for those not on OST.

For IDUs who were participating in NEPs and OST, the new HCV infection rate was

just 2 percent.

The authors noted the study’s limitations, including that its findings are based

on small numbers and concerned only UK programs. Still, Hickman believes the

work fills some knowledge gaps relating to how well IDU programs are working.

One question for future research, Hickman said, is whether treating HCV

infection in IDUs helps reduce onward transmission.

The authors concluded, “There is good evidence that uptake of opiate

substitution therapy and high coverage of needle and syringe programs can

substantially reduce the risk of HCV transmission among IDUs. Research is

required now on whether the scaling-up of intervention exposure can reduce and

limit HCV prevalence in this population.”

The study, “The Impact of Needle and Syringe Provision and Opiate Substitution

Therapy on the Incidence of Hepatitis C Virus in Injecting Drug Users: Pooling

of UK Evidence,” was published in Addiction

(2011;doi:10.1111/j.1360-0442.2011.03515.x).

[Guest guest]

CDC 07-28-11

UNITED KINGDOM: " Programs May Curb Hepatitis C in Drug Users "

Reuters Health (06.29.11):: Amy Norton

A recent report offers fresh evidence that needle-exchange programs (NEPs) and

opiate substitution therapy (OST) can reduce injection drug users’ (IDUs) odds

of contracting hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Senior researcher Hickman, a professor of public health at the

University of Bristol, and colleagues pooled the results of six previous studies

of UK programs (based in Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds, London, and

Wales). The results showed that IDUs with the highest coverage of NEPs were

about half as likely to contract HCV as others.

Among the group of IDUs who said they accessed enough clean needles for all

their injections, slightly less than 4 percent tested HCV-positive during the

studies, which lasted as long as one year. This compares to 7 percent for IDUs

who said they did not receive clean needles for all their injections.

Among IDUs who were currently on OST, the rate of new HCV infection was 3

percent, compared to 7 percent for those not on OST.

For IDUs who were participating in NEPs and OST, the new HCV infection rate was

just 2 percent.

The authors noted the study’s limitations, including that its findings are based

on small numbers and concerned only UK programs. Still, Hickman believes the

work fills some knowledge gaps relating to how well IDU programs are working.

One question for future research, Hickman said, is whether treating HCV

infection in IDUs helps reduce onward transmission.

The authors concluded, “There is good evidence that uptake of opiate

substitution therapy and high coverage of needle and syringe programs can

substantially reduce the risk of HCV transmission among IDUs. Research is

required now on whether the scaling-up of intervention exposure can reduce and

limit HCV prevalence in this population.”

The study, “The Impact of Needle and Syringe Provision and Opiate Substitution

Therapy on the Incidence of Hepatitis C Virus in Injecting Drug Users: Pooling

of UK Evidence,” was published in Addiction

(2011;doi:10.1111/j.1360-0442.2011.03515.x).

[Guest guest]

CDC 07-28-11

UNITED KINGDOM: " Programs May Curb Hepatitis C in Drug Users "

Reuters Health (06.29.11):: Amy Norton

A recent report offers fresh evidence that needle-exchange programs (NEPs) and

opiate substitution therapy (OST) can reduce injection drug users’ (IDUs) odds

of contracting hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Senior researcher Hickman, a professor of public health at the

University of Bristol, and colleagues pooled the results of six previous studies

of UK programs (based in Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds, London, and

Wales). The results showed that IDUs with the highest coverage of NEPs were

about half as likely to contract HCV as others.

Among the group of IDUs who said they accessed enough clean needles for all

their injections, slightly less than 4 percent tested HCV-positive during the

studies, which lasted as long as one year. This compares to 7 percent for IDUs

who said they did not receive clean needles for all their injections.

Among IDUs who were currently on OST, the rate of new HCV infection was 3

percent, compared to 7 percent for those not on OST.

For IDUs who were participating in NEPs and OST, the new HCV infection rate was

just 2 percent.

The authors noted the study’s limitations, including that its findings are based

on small numbers and concerned only UK programs. Still, Hickman believes the

work fills some knowledge gaps relating to how well IDU programs are working.

One question for future research, Hickman said, is whether treating HCV

infection in IDUs helps reduce onward transmission.

The authors concluded, “There is good evidence that uptake of opiate

substitution therapy and high coverage of needle and syringe programs can

substantially reduce the risk of HCV transmission among IDUs. Research is

required now on whether the scaling-up of intervention exposure can reduce and

limit HCV prevalence in this population.”

The study, “The Impact of Needle and Syringe Provision and Opiate Substitution

Therapy on the Incidence of Hepatitis C Virus in Injecting Drug Users: Pooling

of UK Evidence,” was published in Addiction

(2011;doi:10.1111/j.1360-0442.2011.03515.x).