If you were born between the years 1945 through 1964, you are in the largest group of people at increased risk for chronic hepatitis C. It's a viral infection that can cause serious liver damage.
Especially if you are in this age group, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends testing. The disease is often silent and not diagnosed until it's already causing liver damage.
Seventy to eighty percent of people with hep C have no symptoms. They may go for years, even decades, without knowing they have the virus.
About 2.7 million people in the U.S. have chronic hepatitis C, (HCV) which can be spread only by direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of those who have it.
* You are at higher risk if you have injected drugs or shared needles
* You received donated blood or organs before 1992 or clotting factor concentrates before 1987
* Had piercing or tattoos in a nonsterile environment
* Are HIV infected
* Are a healthcare worker who may have been exposed to it.
At David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA Los Angeles, Sammy Saab, a professor of medicine and surgery, says it's better to know whether or not you have HCV. The benefits of identification are many. Regular care can help infected individuals improve their health.
"In addition to getting any necessary treatment, you can take steps to protect your liver," says Dr. Saab, "such as avoiding alcohol, maintaining a healthy weight and getting vaccinated for hepatitis A and B, pneumonia and the flu."
There is no vaccine for hepatitis C.
