BCN HEALTH has presented several communications at the EASL and AASLD congresses evaluating the clinical and economic burden of patients with HDV coinfection and HBV monoinfection in Spain

The posters have presented information on a retrospective study that included records of patients with HDV coinfection and HBV monoinfection admitted to hospitals in Spain between 2000 and 2019. The objectives of the study were to compare the baseline characteristics of adult patients with HDV/HBV versus hepatitis B monoinfection in Spain. This study reported that the ratio between men and women was similar in the two cohorts. This study concludes that HDV co-infected patients had higher comorbidities and significantly higher liver disease severity than HBV patients. These findings underline the need for early screening and diagnosis, and eventual treatment of HDV to mitigate future disease progression.

Another poster has informed about epidemiological data, baseline characteristics, health resource use and costs among HDV/HBV co-infected patients hospitalised in Spain between 2000 and 2019. The results of the study highlight that HDV/HBV patients have a high burden of co-morbidity. Total healthcare costs are high, with hospitalisation costs being the main driver, resulting in a high economic burden. 

Finally, the results of the study in which the HDV and HBV cohorts were matched by age and gender to assess incremental differences in resource use, costs and baseline comorbidities have also been presented. The ratio of men to women was significantly higher in patients with HBV than HDV. This study concludes that HDV co-infected patients had significantly higher comorbidities, resource use and costs than HBV patients. These results further confirm the need for early screening and diagnosis and treatment of HDV to alleviate disease progression.