According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people born between 1945-1965 are in a high risk group for being infected with hepatitis C--and they probably don't even know it.
The CDC said that of the estimated 3.2 million people chronically infected with hepatitis C in the U.S., approximately 75 percent were born during 1945-1965. In fact, data show that people born during these years are five times more likely than other adults to be infected.
And the reason for concern? The liver has multiple jobs which includes to store and supply vitamins, minerals and iron; aids digestion; makes, stores and releases sugars and fats and produces essential proteins. So if the liver is down--the individual is down. Hep C can cause several liver problems including cirrhosis--scarring of the liver--and liver cancer.
Lt. Col. Sandra Rolph, the department of medical services chief at Ireland Army Health Clinic, explained that hepatitis C is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis C virus. For some people, hep C is a short-term illness but for 70--85 percent of people who become infected with the virus, it becomes a long-term chronic infection.
"Chronic hepatitis C is a serious disease that can result in long-term health problems, and even death," she said. "The majority of infected people might not be aware they are infected because they (don't feel ill). There is no vaccine for the virus. The best way to prevent hepatitis C is by avoiding behaviors that can spread the disease, especially injecting drugs."
Hep C is transmitted primarily through contact with the blood of an infected person. Before 1992, when widespread screening of the blood supply began in the United States, hepatitis C was sometimes spread through blood transfusions and organ transplants, according to the CDC website.
But the most common way people become infected today is through shared needle use or in some instances through unprotected sex with someone who is infected. Although people who are older than 50 might not engage in those type of risky activities today--if they did when they were younger, they are still at risk today.
The CDC reports an increase in hep C virus- associated morbidity and mortality correlations. For example, annual HCV-associated mortality in the U.S. increased more than 50 percent from 1999 to 2007.
But Rolph said a simple exam and blood test can get someone who is at risk the right treatment and help prevent them from being an HCV statistic.
"If someone tests positive for hep C they will need additional blood tests to confirm the infection," she explained.
While there isn't a vaccine for treating hep C the CDC said there are several medications available to treat chronic hep C, "including new treatments that appear to be more effective and have fewer side effects than previous options."
Rolph added that when someone is found to be chronically infected, clinical preventive services including regular medical monitoring, hepatitis A and B vaccination, and behavior changes like alcohol reduction/cessation are tools used to help the patient. Achieving and maintaining a healthy body mass index can also improve health outcomes for people with hepatitis C.
Individuals born between 1945 and 1965, or are someone who used intravenous drugs, engaged in certain kinds of unprotected sex or had a partner who did, should contact a provider for a hep C test.
For an appointment, call IRAHC at (800) 493-9602.
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