Ridding the body of hep C reduces central fatigue, which is weakness originating in the central nervous system. Researchers looked at changes in fatigue levels in 413 people with hep C following successful treatments based on Sovaldi (sofosbuvir).

Responses to questionnaires showed that, if the study participants had achieved a sustained virologic response 12 weeks after completing therapy (considered a cure), they experienced an average 27 percent improvement in measures of vitality, 20 percent improvement in fatigue and 11 percent improvement on what’s known as an activity-energy scale. All of nine points in a questionnaire measuring central fatigue showed improvement.

Study lead Zobair Younossi, MD, MPH, executive director for the Center for Liver Diseases at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus in Virginia, noted that 40 to 50 percent of people with hep C experience chronic fatigue. He said that cures “will potentially lead to better quality of life, but also better worker productivity.”