<p>According to a study, patients who received peginterferon plus ribavirin treatment and drank three or more cups of coffee a day were two times more likely to respond to treatment than non-drinkers.<br /><br />About 75 percent of people have no symptoms when they first acquire hepatitis C infection. The remaining 25 percent may complain of fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle aches or fever. Yellowing of the skin or eyes is rare at this early stage of infection.<br />Later people with chronic infection may begin to experience the effects of the persistent inflammation caused by the immune reaction to the virus. <br /><br />Blood tests may show elevated levels of liver enzymes, a sign of liver damage, which is often the first suggestion that the infection may be present. Patients may become easily fatigued or complain of non-specific symptoms. <br /><br />"Coffee intake has been associated with a lower level of liver enzymes, reduced progression of chronic liver disease and reduced incidence of liver cancer," said study-eader Neal Freedman of the National Cancer Institute, the journal Gastroenterology reports. <br /><br />Approximately 70 to 80 percent of individuals exposed to hepatitis C virus (HCV) become chronically infected. Worldwide, these individuals are estimated to number between 130 and 170 million, according to Cancer Institute statement. <br /><br />Higher coffee consumption has been associated with slower progression of pre-existing liver disease and lower risk of liver cancer. However, the relationship with response to anti-HCV treatment had not been previously evaluated. <br /><br />Treatment with peginterferon and ribavirin resolves chronic hepatitis C in about half of patients. It is unknown whether coffee will improve response with the addition of new drugs that were recently approved for use in the US.<br /></p>
<p>According to a study, patients who received peginterferon plus ribavirin treatment and drank three or more cups of coffee a day were two times more likely to respond to treatment than non-drinkers.<br /><br />About 75 percent of people have no symptoms when they first acquire hepatitis C infection. The remaining 25 percent may complain of fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle aches or fever. Yellowing of the skin or eyes is rare at this early stage of infection.<br />Later people with chronic infection may begin to experience the effects of the persistent inflammation caused by the immune reaction to the virus. <br /><br />Blood tests may show elevated levels of liver enzymes, a sign of liver damage, which is often the first suggestion that the infection may be present. Patients may become easily fatigued or complain of non-specific symptoms. <br /><br />"Coffee intake has been associated with a lower level of liver enzymes, reduced progression of chronic liver disease and reduced incidence of liver cancer," said study-eader Neal Freedman of the National Cancer Institute, the journal Gastroenterology reports. <br /><br />Approximately 70 to 80 percent of individuals exposed to hepatitis C virus (HCV) become chronically infected. Worldwide, these individuals are estimated to number between 130 and 170 million, according to Cancer Institute statement. <br /><br />Higher coffee consumption has been associated with slower progression of pre-existing liver disease and lower risk of liver cancer. However, the relationship with response to anti-HCV treatment had not been previously evaluated. <br /><br />Treatment with peginterferon and ribavirin resolves chronic hepatitis C in about half of patients. It is unknown whether coffee will improve response with the addition of new drugs that were recently approved for use in the US.<br /></p>