Baby Boomers & Hepatitis C
75% of the 3 million Americans living with Hepatitis C don’t know it.
The Centers for Disease Control say 75% of the three million Americans living with Hepatitis C don’t know it and could be susceptible to serious illnesses. The CDC is recommending that Baby Boomers — those born between 1945 and 1965 — be tested.
From MayoClinic.com:
Hepatitis C is an infection caused by a virus that attacks the liver and leads to inflammation. Most people infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) have no symptoms. In fact, most people don’t know they have the hepatitis C infection until liver damage shows up, decades later, during routine medical tests.
Hepatitis C is one of several hepatitis viruses and is generally considered to be among the most serious of these viruses. Hepatitis C is passed through contact with contaminated blood — most commonly through needles shared during illegal drug use.
Dr. John Goldman, an infectious disease specialist at PinnacleHealth joins us in this episode of Smart Talk to highlight this disease and what seniors need to know.
Listen to the conversation:
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