Baby Boomers Need to be Screened for Hepatitis C: U.S. Task Force

A latest recommendation from the United States Preventive Service Task Force says that all baby boomers should be screened for hepatitis C.

The recommendation statement drafted by the U.S. Preventive Service Task Force last November, suggests all adults born between 1945 and 1965 should be screened once for hepatitis C.  This Tuesday they released a final recommendation strongly emphasizing that baby boomers screen for hepatitis C virus infections.  The statement advises doctors to consider offering screening for this age group.

"Millions of people in the United States are infected with hepatitis C, and many are unaware of their condition, in large part because they may not have any symptoms," task force member Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, Ph.D., M.D, said in a press statement. "Hepatitis C infection is a leading cause of liver damage, liver cancer, and liver transplants in the United States. Screening for hepatitis C can help people who are infected live longer, healthier lives."

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , nearly 2.7-3.9 million people are infected with hepatitis C Virus (HCV). This is known to be a major cause for liver cancer. Baby boomers make up three quarters of people in the United Sates with HCV. A simple test called 'an antibody test' will help identify the virus.

Previous studies have revealed that baby boomers (born between 1945-1965) are five times more likely to be infected with hepatitis C.

There has been advancement in effective treatments for Hepatitis C with lesser side-effects.

Those who use injection drugs should be screened regularly for Hepatitis C. Not everyone with the infection requires to be treated.

Many baby boomers have contracted the virus from blood transfusions or other high risk behavior. They might not have symptoms but screening will help identify the carriers of the infection and save their lives before the infection develops into a serious liver disease, says Task Force Co-chair Albert Siu, M.D., M.S.P.H.

The recommendation statement from USPSTF has been published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.