A new study presented this week at The Liver Meeting-- held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases -- found that daily aspirin therapy was significantly associated with a reduced risk of hepatitis B virus‐related liver cancer. Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver. HBV can be contracted through contact with an infected person's blood or other bodily fluid, and the infection can either be acute or chronic.
According to AASLD's Guidelines for Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B, an estimated 240 million people worldwide have chronic HBV, and the highest prevalence of the virus is in Africa and Asia. Death from HBV is commonly due to the development of cirrhosis (scaring of healthy liver tissue) or hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer). Past research suggests that daily aspirin therapy -- which is often prescribed to prevent cardiovascular disease --…
