Impact of Renal Disease on Patients with Hepatitis C: A Retrospective Analysis of Disease Burden, Clinical Outcomes, and Health Care Utilization and Cost.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Few studies explore the magnitude of the disease burden and health care utilization imposed by renal disease among patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV). We aimed to describe the characteristics, outcomes, and health care utilization and costs of patients with HCV with and without renal impairment.

METHODS: This retrospective analysis used 2 administrative claims databases: the US commercially insured population in Truven Health MarketScan® data (aged 20-64 years), and the US Medicare fee-for-service population in the Medicare 20% sample (aged ≥65 years). Baseline characteristics and comorbid conditions were identified from claims during 2011; patients were followed for up to 1 year (beginning January 1, 2012) to identify health outcomes of interest and health care utilization and costs.

RESULTS: In the MarketScan and Medicare databases, 35,965 and 10,608 patients with HCV were identified, 8.5 and 26.5% with evidence of renal disease (chronic kidney disease [CKD] or end-stage renal disease [ESRD]). Most comorbid conditions and unadjusted outcome rates increased across groups from patients with no evidence of renal disease to non-ESRD CKD to ESRD. Health care utilization followed a similar pattern, as did the costs.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that HCV patients with concurrent renal disease have significantly more comorbidity, a higher likelihood of negative health outcomes, and higher health care utilization and costs.