Hep C Patients Who Drink Three Cups Of Coffee Daily During Treatment Have Better Outcomes

Patients suffering from advanced hepatitis C and chronic liver disease who drank coffee while receiving peginterferon plus ribavirin treatment experienced better outcomes than non-coffee drinkers, according to a U.S. study. Researchers found that 46 percent of patients who did not drink coffee experienced an early virologic response to treatment, compared to 73 percent of coffee drinkers. Twenty-six percent of non-coffee drinkers had no detectable hepatitis C virus at week 20, compared to 52 percent of coffee drinkers. “High-level consumption of coffee (more than 3 cups per day) is an independent predictor of improved virologic response to peginterferon plus ribavirin in patients with hepatitis C,” the researchers concluded.