Diseases & Conditions
Hepatitis C screening could be critical
Treatment is available if you test positive.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending that everyone born between 1945 and 1965—the so-called "baby boomer" generation—be tested for hepatitis C. The CDC reports that about two million American adults know they have hepatitis C, and 75% of them are baby boomers. Another 1.5 million baby boomers are likely infected, but aren't seeking treatment because they're unaware of their condition. That could be life threatening. "You have to understand that hepatitis C advances very silently. If it's discovered once the liver fails, then it's too late to save the liver. Screening is so easy," says Dr. Stanley Rosenberg, a gastroenterologist at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC).
Healthy liver vs. cirrhotic liver
The surface of a healthy liver (1) is smooth, while the surface of a cirrhotic liver (2) is irregular. The inside tissue of a cirrhotic liver is also scarred, affecting the function of the organ. |
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