Hepatitis C and Boomers, Symptoms, Liver Disease
What Boomers Should Know About Hepatitis C
Learn more about the risks and potential cures
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People born between 1945 and 1965 should take note: you are five times more likely to have liver-damaging . The bad news is you may have no symptoms — at least a million boomers with the virus do not. But fortunately, new medicines have made this illness more treatable than ever, and a couple simple tests can tell you whether you have it or are in the clear. Boomers are at higher risk
Hepatitis C is one of several viruses (others include hepatitis A and B) that harm the liver. Hepatitis A and B can be prevented with vaccines. But there’s no vaccine for HCV, the virus responsible for most chronic liver infections in adults. It’s the top cause of liver scarring (cirrhosis), and liver transplants, and it kills 15,000 people in the United States each year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is a dangerous family of viruses
About half of chronically infected people don’t know it, That’s because even those with advancing “can have mild symptoms or symptoms that are attributed to other things — feeling depressed, out of sorts, lack of energy, things you might attribute to aging,” says Ward. We have a safer blood supply
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The newer drugs were so expensive when they came on the market that insurers initially refused to pay until patients already had advanced liver damage, Dieterich says. has been an exception, he says, and private insurers now seem to be reconsidering their stances. Professional groups representing the doctors who treat HCV say that everyone with the virus, with or without liver damage, should be treated immediately. In the long run, that will save money and lives, Dieterich says.
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People born between 1945 and 1965 should take note: you are five times more likely to have liver-damaging . The bad news is you may have no symptoms — at least a million boomers with the virus do not. But fortunately, new medicines have made this illness more treatable than ever, and a couple simple tests can tell you whether you have it or are in the clear. You can pass it to others — though not easily
People born between 1945 and 1965 should take note: you are five times more likely to have liver-damaging . The bad news is you may have no symptoms — at least a million boomers with the virus do not. But fortunately, new medicines have made this illness more treatable than ever, and a couple simple tests can tell you whether you have it or are in the clear. There are new successful treatments
People born between 1945 and 1965 should take note: you are five times more likely to have liver-damaging . The bad news is you may have no symptoms — at least a million boomers with the virus do not. But fortunately, new medicines have made this illness more treatable than ever, and a couple simple tests can tell you whether you have it or are in the clear. Medicare and some insurers pay for treatment
People born between 1945 and 1965 should take note: you are five times more likely to have liver-damaging . The bad news is you may have no symptoms — at least a million boomers with the virus do not. But fortunately, new medicines have made this illness more treatable than ever, and a couple simple tests can tell you whether you have it or are in the clear. View More Slideshows
People born between 1945 and 1965 should take note: you are five times more likely to have liver-damaging . The bad news is you may have no symptoms — at least a million boomers with the virus do not. But fortunately, new medicines have made this illness more treatable than ever, and a couple simple tests can tell you whether you have it or are in the clear. Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures
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