{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Antiviral treatment standards for hepatitis B: An urgent need for expansion.
{Author}: Bao ZH;Dai ZK;Tang HX;
{Journal}: World J Gastroenterol
{Volume}: 30
{Issue}: 4
{Year}: 2024 Jan 28
{Factor}: 5.374
{DOI}: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i4.418
{Abstract}: The present letter to the editor is related to the review with the title "Past, present, and future of long-term treatment for hepatitis B virus." Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) represents an important and pressing public health concern. Timely identification and effective antiviral therapy hold the potential to reduce liver-related mortality attributable to chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) substantially. However, the current global treatment rates for CHB remain conspicuously low, with the excessively stringent treatment criteria advocated by national CHB guidelines being a contributing factor to these low rates. Nevertheless, recent strides in comprehending this malady and the emergence of novel antiviral agents prompt the imperative re-evaluation of treatment standards to extend the sphere of potential beneficiaries. An impending need arises for a novel paradigm for the classification of patients with CHB, the expansion of antiviral treatment eligibility for HBV-infected individuals, and even the streamlining of the diagnostic process for CHB to amplify cost-effectiveness and augment survival prospects.