Hepatitis C now kills more Americans than AIDS
Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – Deaths from hepatitis C, a liver destroying disease, are on the rise, and new data from the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention shows that baby boomers are most at risk.
Federal officials are mulling whether anyone born between 1945 and 1965 should get a one-time test to check if their livers harbor this disease, because two-thirds of people with hepatitis C are in this age group and most are unaware that they have the virus, according to a CDC report. The disease could have been festering since their younger days. It often takes a few decades for it to do its damage.
According to the CDC, one of every 33 baby boomers is living with hepatitis C infection, and most will be surprised to know that they have it.
Renewed awareness, and the issue of the blood testing, have come into focus since two new drugs, one from Merck and one from Vertex Pharmaceuticals, hit the market last summer. Both hold the promise to cure more people than ever thought possible.
The biggest risk factor for hepatitis C, a blood-borne virus, is sharing a needle while injecting illegal drugs. However, before 1992, when widespread testing of the drug supply began, hepatitis C was commonly spread through blood transfusions.
Some 3.2 million Americans are estimated to have chronic hepatitis C, and at least half of them may not know it.
The virus, which affects 170 million people worldwide, can gradually scar the liver and lead to cirrhosis or live cancer. It is the leading cause of liver transplants.
A CDC study published Monday analyzed a decade of death records and found an increase in death rates from hepatitis C. In 2007, some 15,000 deaths were related to hepatitis C, higher than previous estimates. The number surpassed the nearly 13,000 deaths caused by AIDS.
Among the findings. three-fourths of the hepatitis deaths occurred in the middle-aged, those 45-64.
The CDC currently advises hepatitis C testing for those at risk, but this new data may change that.
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