Primary Care Providers and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Needs Assessment Survey.

BACKGROUND: Primary care providers (PCPs) face increasing numbers of patients at risk for NAFLD and are responsible for the detection of NAFLD and the decision on referral to specialists. We conducted a PCP needs assessment to ascertain the barriers and desired supports for NAFLD in primary care. METHODS: We designed a cross-sectional study of PCPs at a large diverse health system and surveyed faculty, residents, and nurse practitioners. Questions assessed NAFLD knowledge, approach to diagnosis and fibrosis testing including use of FIB-4, and attitudes toward support tools. RESULTS: The survey was sent to 115 PCPs with an 80% (n = 92) response rate. Respondents were 52% faculty and 48% residents. Over 40% were unsure of which diagnostic tests to order and which data constituted a diagnosis. PCPs were aware of the importance of fibrosis, yet few knew the components of FIB-4, few used FIB-4 in practice, and yet the most common reason for referral was to obtain fibrosis staging. The majority showed high levels of interest toward possible tools to improve NAFLD management, and only 5% perceived lack of time to be a barrier. DISCUSSION: Our survey revealed PCPs need and want strategic approaches to NAFLD. We found PCPs lack confidence in diagnosing NAFLD and are inconsistent in management strategies. PCPs had high awareness of the importance of fibrosis, but not of the FIB-4. It was encouraging that PCPs reported that time was not a major barrier and had positive attitudes toward potential practice support tools, indicating that practice guidelines designed for primary care should be created.

Falsely Decreased HbA1c in a Type 2 Diabetic Patient Treated with Dapsone.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss a case of a falsely low hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in a transplant patient treated with dapsone and its implications. HbA1c is widely used as a measure of glycemic control in diabetic patients. With the increasing transplant population, it is important to be mindful of medications used in this population that can affect HbA1c and to use other measures of glycemic control to guide treatment decisions. METHODS: We present details of the case and review the relevant literature. RESULTS: A 61-year-old patient received a liver transplant in 2012 and subsequently was noted to have a falling HbA1c despite evidence of hyperglycemia based on fingerstick glucose and fructosamine measurements. Review of the medical records revealed that the discordance between HbA1c and fingerstick glucose levels developed after initiation of dapsone therapy. Dapsone may lead to a falsely low HbA1c via several mechanisms. Upon cessation of dapsone therapy, the patient's HbA1c returned to pre-dapsone levels. CONCLUSION: It is important to be aware of medications commonly used in transplant patients that may lead to a falsely low HbA1c level so that incorrect treatment decisions are not made. Fructosamine correlates with HbA1c and can be used as a measure of glycemic control in transplant patients when HbA1c cannot be used.

Underrecognition and Suboptimal Quality of Care for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Cirrhosis in Primary Care Patients with Diabetes Mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a leading cause of cirrhosis but is underrecognized in primary care. Cirrhosis management requires complex monitoring, and the quality of care (QoC) for NAFLD cirrhosis patients in primary care may be inadequate. METHODS: In this retrospective-prospective cohort study of primary care patients with diabetes mellitus, we identified patients with NAFLD cirrhosis by 1) evidence of cirrhosis from abdominal imaging identified by natural language processing, or 2) existence of International Classification of Diseases code for cirrhosis. A finding of either was followed by manual chart review for confirmation of both cirrhosis and NAFLD. We then determined if cirrhosis care measures were up-to-date, including hepatitis A and B vaccination, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score components, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, and hepatocellular carcinoma screening. We created a composite score quantifying overall QoC (scale 0-8), with high QoC defined as ≥6 points. RESULTS: Among 3,028 primary care patients with diabetes mellitus, we identified 51 (1.7%) with NAFLD cirrhosis. Although 78% had ≥3 average primary care visits/year, only 24% completed hepatocellular carcinoma screening at least annually in at least 75% of years since diagnosis. The average QoC composite score was 4.9 (SD 2.4), and less than one-third had high QoC. CONCLUSIONS: NAFLD cirrhosis is prevalent but underdiagnosed in primary care, and receipt of comprehensive QoC was suboptimal. Given the rising incidence of NAFLD cirrhosis, primary care providers need improved awareness and mechanisms to ensure high QoC for this population.

Assessing Adherence to US LI-RADS Follow-up Recommendations in Vulnerable Patients Undergoing Hepatocellular Carcinoma Surveillance.

Purpose To assess adherence to the US Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) recommendations for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance and associated patient-level factors in a vulnerable, diverse patient sample. Materials and Methods The radiology report database was queried retrospectively for patients who underwent US LI-RADS-based surveillance examinations at a single institution between June 1, 2020, and February 28, 2021. Initial US and follow-up liver imaging were included. Sociodemographic and clinical data were captured from electronic medical records. Adherence to radiologist recommendation was defined as imaging (US, CT, or MRI) follow-up in 5-7 months for US-1, imaging follow-up in 3-6 months for US-2, and CT or MRI follow-up in 2 months for US-3. Descriptive analysis and multivariable modeling that adjusted for age, sex, race, and time since COVID-19 pandemic onset were performed. Results Among 936 patients, the mean age was 59.1 years; 531 patients (56.7%) were male and 544 (58.1%) were Asian or Pacific Islander, 91 (9.7%) were Black, 129 (13.8%) were Hispanic, 147 (15.7%) were White, and 25 (2.7%) self-reported as other race. The overall adherence rate was 38.8% (95% CI: 35.7, 41.9). The most common liver disease etiology was hepatitis B (60.6% [657 of 936 patients]); 19.7% of patients (183 of 936) had current or past substance use disorder, and 44.8% (416 of 936) smoked. At adjusted multivariable analysis, older age (odds ratio [OR], 1.20; P = .02), male sex (OR, 1.62; P = .003), hepatology clinic attendance (OR, 3.81; P < .001), and recent prior US examination (OR, 2.44; P < .001) were associated with full adherence, while current smoking (OR, 0.39; P < .001) was negatively associated. Conclusion Adherence to HCC imaging surveillance was suboptimal, despite US LI-RADS implementation. Keywords: Liver, Ultrasound, Screening, Abdomen/GI, Cirrhosis, Metabolic Disorders, Socioeconomic Issues Supplemental material is available for this article. © RSNA, 2024.

Prospective study of a case-finding algorithm to detect NAFLD with advanced fibrosis in primary care patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Primary care providers need strategies to identify NAFLD patients and select for specialty referral, but proposed algorithms have only been studied in established NAFLD patients. METHODS: We implemented an algorithm for all adults with diabetes mellitus in a large primary care practice and excluded hepatitis B and C or alcohol use. Applying annual Fibrosis-4 Index and NAFLD Fibrosis Score for 5 years, we categorized patients as low-risk, indeterminate-risk, or high-risk for advanced fibrosis. We targeted all high-risk and messaged each primary care provider, recommending hepatology linkage. We collected final diagnosis and fibrosis (F0-4) outcomes. Using multivariable logistic regression, we assessed risk factors for advanced fibrosis stage (F3-4). RESULTS: Of 3028 patients, 1018 were low-risk, 577 indeterminate-risk, and 611 high-risk. There were 264 target patients; their 89 primary care providers received a message per patient suggesting hepatology referral. The majority (n=149) were referred; at triage, 118 were deemed likely NAFLD. Of these, 90 completed visits, 78/90 were diagnosed as NAFLD, and 69/78 underwent fibrosis staging, with F3 to 4 in 25/69. In multivariable analysis, hemoglobin A1c ≥8% (OR=7.02, 95% CI: 1.29-38.18) and Fibrosis-4 Index (OR=1.79, 95% CI: 1.07-2.99) were associated with increased risk of F3 to 4. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first prospective study testing a case-finding strategy in primary care and almost 1/3 of diabetes mellitus were high-risk for advanced fibrosis. When prompted, 73% of primary care providers placed referrals and 76% of patients completed visits, revealing 86% NAFLD and 36% F3 to 4. This study demonstrates the readiness for such a strategy in primary care; integrating hemoglobin A1c into this algorithm may further improve the performance of Fibrosis-4 Index in this setting.

Pharmacologic Therapies in Gastrointestinal Diseases.

Several key areas in gastroenterology pharmacotherapy are rapidly evolving, including the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV), irritable bowel syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and peptic ulcer disease. HCV treatment has radically changed in the past 2 years and now most patients are treatment candidates and have a high likelihood of permanent cure. Pharmacotherapy is now first-line treatment for patients with moderate to severe symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are the mainstay of therapy in gastric and duodenal ulcers and GERD, although long-term use carries the risk of several side effects that should be considered.

Cost-effectiveness of Early Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1 by Stage of Liver Fibrosis in a US Treatment-Naive Population.

IMPORTANCE: Novel treatments for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are highly efficacious but costly. Thus, many insurers cover therapy only in advanced fibrosis stages. The added health benefits and costs of early treatment are unknown. OBJECTIVE: To assess the cost-effectiveness of (1) treating all patients with HCV vs only those with advanced fibrosis and (2) treating each stage of fibrosis. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This study used a decision-analytic model for the treatment of HCV genotype 1. The model used a lifetime horizon and societal perspective and was representative of all US patients with HCV genotype 1 who had not received previous treatment. Comparisons in the model included antiviral treatment of all fibrosis stages (METAVIR [Meta-analysis of Histological Data in Virial Hepatitis] stages F0 [no fibrosis] to F4 [cirrhosis]) vs treatment of stages F3 (numerous septa without cirrhosis) and F4 only and by specific fibrosis stage. Data were collected from March 1 to September 1, 2014, and analyzed from September 1, 2014, to June 30, 2015. INTERVENTIONS: Six HCV therapy options (particularly combined sofosbuvir and ledipasvir therapy) or no treatment. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Cost and health outcomes were measured using total medical costs, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), calculated as the difference in costs between strategies divided by the difference in QALYs. RESULTS: We simulated 1000 individuals, but present the results normalized to a single HCV-infected person. In the base-case analysis, among patients receiving 8 or 12 weeks of sofosbuvir-ledipasvir treatment, treating all fibrosis stages compared with treating stages F3 and F4 adds 0.73 QALYs and $28,899, for an ICER of $39,475 per QALY gained. Treating at stage F2 (portal fibrosis with rare septa) costs $19,833 per QALY gained vs waiting until stage F3; treating at stage F1 (portal fibrosis without septa), $81,165 per QALY gained compared with waiting until stage F2; and treating at stage F0, $187,065 per QALY gained compared with waiting until stage F1. Results for other regimens show a similar pattern. At base-case drug prices, treating 50% of all eligible US patients with HCV genotype 1 would cost $53 billion. In sensitivity analyses, the ICER for treating all stages vs treating stages F3 and F4 was most sensitive to cohort age, drug costs, utility values in stages F1 and F2, and percentage of patients eligible for 8-week therapy. Except for patients aged 70 years, the ICER remains less than $100,000 per QALY gained. A 46% reduction in cost of sofosbuvir-ledipasvir therapy decreases the ICER for treating at all fibrosis stages by 48%. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this simulated model, treating HCV infection at early stages of fibrosis appeared to improve health outcomes and to be cost-effective but incurred substantial aggregate costs. The findings may have implications for health care coverage policies and clinical decision making.

Hepatitis C virus infection among prisoners in the California state correctional system.

BACKGROUND: Incarcerated populations are at high risk for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, yet prisoners are not routinely screened or treated for HCV infection. Understanding the risk factors of HCV infection among prisoners could help improve HCV interventions. METHODS: Prevalence and risk of HCV infection among 469 prisoners entering California State correctional facilities were assessed using HCV antibody screening, HCV RNA measurement, and structured interviews. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent correlates of HCV infection. RESULTS: The prevalence of HCV infection was 34.3% overall (95% confidence interval [CI], 30%-38%) and was 65.7% among those with a history of injection drug use (IDU), compared with 10.2% among those with no history of IDU (odds ratio [OR], 17.24; 95% CI, 10.52-28.25). Significant differences in HCV antibody positivity were found in association with age at first detention but not with the nature of the crime. Independent correlates of HCV infection included age, history of IDU, cumulative time of incarceration, biological sex (OR for females subjects compared with males subjects, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.13-0.96), and a history of having sex with a male IDU (OR, 4.42; 95% CI, 1.46-13.37). We identified significant differences in risk factors between male and female subjects--notably, that the risk of HCV infection was significantly elevated among female non-IDUs who reported having sexual partners with a history of IDU. Among non-IDUs, correlates of HCV infection included history of receipt of blood products and cumulative years of incarceration. CONCLUSIONS: HCV infection is pervasive among the California prison population, including prisoners who are non-IDUs and women with high-risk sexual behavior. These results should promote consideration of routine HCV antibody screening and behavioral interventions among incarcerated men and women.

The State of Hepatitis C Care in the VA.

Primary care providers are increasingly important in the treatment of patients with the hepatitis C virus, especially for the large cohort of veterans born between 1945 and 1965.

When to consider liver transplant during the management of chronic liver disease.

The decision to perform liver transplantation for a particular patient is never the decision of one single individual, although a single individual could preclude transplant as an option if the opportunity for referral is missed. Every physician treating patients with cirrhosis, including primary care physicians and primary gastroenterologists, should watch for the essential turning points at which a patient may become eligible for a transplant referral. Timing of referral could be assessed according to either the type of liver disease or non­disease-specific measures of disease severity. Although the MELD score is an easily accessible and convenient tool it is not as well known as CTP classification, and many cirrhotic patients under long-term management may not be being allocated a MELD score regularly calculated by their primary physicians. Because a slow progression in MELD score may occur without a change in symptoms, reaching the MELD score acceptable for transplant referral may go unrecognized. As generalists face the rising prevalence of NAFLD and the rising prevalence of cirrhosis and HCC from HCV, there will be an increasing need for education in the management of liver disease. It will be necessary for specialists and health care systems to better inform primary care physicians about the recommendations on criteria for transplant referral and the critical windows of opportunity within which they can act. Although there is a recognized knowledge gap that needs to be addressed, once a patient is in medical care, inadequate physician knowledge should never be the cause for late timing or missing the opportunity for referral.

Presentation and outcome of hepatocellular carcinoma in HIV-infected patients: a U.S.-Canadian multicenter study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: HIV-infected patients now live longer and often have complications of liver disease, especially with hepatitis B or C virus coinfection. Limited data are available on those with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: A retrospective analysis from 1992 to 2005 in 6 centers identified 63 HIV-infected HCC patients. Controls were 226 consecutive HIV-negative HCC patients from four sites. RESULTS: HIV-positive patients were younger than controls (52 vs. 64 years, p<0.001), more commonly had chronic hepatitis B or C (97% vs. 73%, p<0.001), were more frequently symptomatic (51% vs. 38%, p=0.048), had a higher median alfa-fetoprotein level (227 vs. 51 ng/ml, p=0.005), but a similar mean Child-Turcotte-Pugh score (7.0 vs. 7.5, p=0.05) and HCC staging score (Barcelona-Clínic-Liver-Cancer stages C+D in 50% vs. 58%, p=0.24). HCC developed faster in HIV/HCV-coinfected than in HCV-monoinfected patients (mean, 26 vs. 34 years after HCV infection, p=0.002). HIV-positive patients received proven therapy more often (48% vs. 31%, p=0.017), but median survival was similar (6.9 vs. 7.5 months, p=0.44). Independent factors predicting survival were symptomatic presentation (hazard ratio [HR], 0.437; p<0.001), any proven therapy (HR, 2.19; p<0.001), diagnosis after 01-Jan-2002 (HR, 1.52; p=0.010), Barcelona-Clínic-Liver-Cancer stages C+D (HR, 0.491; p<0.001), AST/ALT >or= 2.00 (HR, 0.597; p=0.001), AFP >or= 400 ng/mL (HR, 0.55, p=0.003), and platelets >or= 100,000/mm3 (HR, 0.651; p=0.012), but not HIV-serostatus (p=0.19). In HIV-infected patients without HCC therapy (n=33), median survival was longer with undetectable HIV RNA (<400 copies/mL) than with HIV viremia (6.5 vs. 2.6 months, p=0.013). CONCLUSIONS: HIV-positive HCC patients are younger and more frequently symptomatic and infected with HCV or HBV than HIV-negative patients. Tumor staging and survival are similar. In untreated patients, undetectable HIV RNA independently predicts better survival.