Early HIV treatment can reduce Hep C liver damage, evidence suggests

Patients who begin early treatment for HIV could see their risk of liver damage reduced if they are also suffering from Hepatitis C.

This is according to a study conducted by a team of French medical researchers, led by Firouze Bani-Sadr, published in the February 2009 edition of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.

The report based on the study's finding said that "early highly active antiretroviral therapy may help to protect the liver" for patients who had not yet responded positively to Hep C treatment alone.

Researchers said: "The interval between diagnosis of HIV infection and initiation of antiretroviral therapy was significantly longer with significant fibrosis."

The study took into account nearly 400 patients on a retrospective basis. Researchers examined the progression of liver disease among patients over a period in which effective HIV treatment has been available.

Among HIV patients who are also infected with Hepatitis C, liver disease is the most common cause of death.