Higher Sustained Responses in Obese Patients

Hi everyone:

Did anyone see this? Not being obese myself it makes me wonder what my chances are...



PEG-Intron Shows Higher Sustained Responses in Obese Patients

A small observational study from the Cleveland Clinic is suggesting that the hepatitis C treatment PEG-Intron (peginterferon alfa-2b) helps more obese patients achieve sustained therapy responses.

http://www.hepatitisneighborhood.com/content/in_the_news/archive_2450.aspx

[Califia]

Don't start raiding the refrigerator just yet.    The study tells us that obese patients are a harder-to-treat group, and that in this particular study they did better on Schering's weight-based product than on Roche's.

The differences in these interferons are pretty vast, one being natural and the other recombinant, one having a larger molecule size, the other smaller.   Effects on the metabolism are different too:  Peg-Intron metabolizes more quickly, Pegasys more slowly.   It's probably a larger issue than mere quantity, but who the heck really knows?

[v eggie dip]

when you say one metabolizes slower than the other I wonder if that is taken into consideration when deciding how to treat someone that's on synthroid for hypothyroid....I asked the Doc if my thyroid meds would be okay with all meds and he said yes...hmmmmmmm now I am curious....

[Califia]

My experience w/ that very situation is that I had to keep raising my  dosage of Levothroid.  Over a period of several months it was increased from from 125 mg to 250 mg daily.  Because I entered tx with preexisting thyroid problems (from earlier treatment w/ monotherapy), the hepatologist insisted that we bring an endocrinologist on board.  We did, and it was absolutely the right thing to do.   Right now, after 59 weeks of interferon, my TSH level is right where it should be, so worry not.

[v eggie dip]

thanks so much for info...sounds like you are hyper...I am hypo...I could of sworn I saw on one of the drug mnfg's site somewhere that it said if you use thyropid hormones you may not be a good candidate for this drug...course my mind is weird these days so who knows  LOL  At any rate, thanks for info and have a great day !

Beth

[DRAGON SLAYER]

Press Release Source: Latino Organization for Liver Awareness (LOLA)


LOLA to Host NYC Hepatitis C 'March for Awareness'
Friday August 5, 8:00 am ET  
City Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera to Lead Entire City Council in Welcoming LOLA Supporters and Hepatitis C Advocacy Community to the Steps of City Hall


    NEW YORK, Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ --

    WHO:     * Debbie Delgado Vega, Founder & CEO, Latino Organization for
               Liver Awareness (LOLA)
             * The Hon. Joel Rivera, Majority Leader of the New York City
               Council

    WHAT:      Will lead hundreds of concerned New Yorkers in a march to City
               Hall to raise awareness about the importance of getting tested
               and treated for the Hepatitis C virus (HCV).  The number one
               epidemic in the world, Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus that
               has infected nearly 200,000 to 300,000 New York City residents,
               of whom 40% are Latino.  It is a silent killer, which has
               become the leading cause of liver transplants in the United
               States.

               LOLA CEO Debbie Delgado-Vega, herself a liver transplant
               recipient, will lead the march from Battery Park to City Hall,
               along with the family of the young man whose liver she
               received.  They will be joined by elected officials, doctors,
               leading HCV and public health advocates, substance abuse
               treatment providers, and private citizens who either live with
               the disease or know someone who suffers from the Hepatitis C
               virus.

               The march will kick off LOLA's 2nd Bilingual Hepatitis Public
               Education Get Tested, Get Treated campaign.  Since 1998, LOLA
               has raised over $1.5 million in private funds to provide
               Hepatitis C prevention, education and treatment referral
               services that have helped thousands of New Yorkers fight this
               deadly disease.  The first bilingual/bicultural organization in
               the nation, LOLA is committed to reaching as many New Yorkers
               as possible over the next year, particularly underserved
               populations suffering from liver disease and/or are in need of
               a liver transplant.

    WHEN:      August 9, 2005, Pre-event festivities 11:00;
               March: 12 Noon (Sharp)

    WHERE:     Battery Park, opposite 17 State Street in Manhattan

    CONTACT:   Sarah R. Bisconte/Experti/914-948-8144, ext. 232/914-310-0467
               (cell)
               Cecilia Santana/Experti/914 948-8144, ext. 233/646-326-7956
               (cell)




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Latino Organization for Liver Awareness (LOLA)

[Califia]

I may sound a little excitable once in a while, but I'm actually hypo like you.   At one point on tx I was so hypothyroid that I actually put on ten pounds while eating next to nothing!    Luckily, it was just a passing phase.    The thing is, though, that interferon can easily  stir up autoimmune conditions, so if you have autoimmune hypothyroidism, you'll need to keep a close watch on your TSH and T4 levels and adjust dosage accordingly.  There is a time lag, as you well know, so titring up can be a tiring experience.   But it can definitely be done.