Baby Boomers and Hepatitis C

More Americans now die as a result of hepatitis C infection than from HIV related causes.  An estimated 3.2 million Americans are infected with hepatitis C, which can lead to liver cancer.  About two-thirds of those are baby boomers, born between 1945 and 1964.  While 1 in 33 Americans born during that period are infected, at least half don't know because screening is rare.  The disease is commonly spread through contact with contaminated blood, but is usually diagnosed decades later, when routine blood tests uncover liver damage caused by the virus over time.  Conventional treatment include pegylated interferon and ribavirin.  Two new protease inhibitors have been shown to be highly effective in eliminating the virus in people with less-advanced liver disease.  As with any treatment, early diagnosis means greater treatment success. 

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309