“Hepatitis C is the Silent Killer of Baby Boomers”
The CDC is recommending that all baby boomers (those born between 1945 to 1965) get tested for harboring the liver-destroying virus, hepatitis C. That totals over 2 million Americans who are infected and it represents a silent killer. It is transmitted through the blood and kills more than 15,000 Americans each year. It may be asymptomatic for over thirty years and, yet, it can be transmissible to others. Deaths result from cirrhosis and liver cancer and hepatitis C is the number one reason for liver transplants in the US. The CDC’s director, said “Everyone age 47 to 67 who hasn’t already been tested for hepatitis C should be tested once. The sooner you know the more you can protect your liver and your life.” Around 3.2 million Americans of all ages are chronically infected with hepatitis C. The new guidelines are expected to identify more than 800,000 infections, prevent 100,000 cases of cirrhosis, prevent more than 50,000 cases of liver cancer, and save more than 120,000 lives.
