VCU news

By Leha Byrd

During a recent Twitter chat, Richard Sterling, M.D., chief of hepatology for the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, answered questions about hepatitis symptoms, as well as the ill effects of the disease’s progression, including cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver failure. Nearly 20,000 people died of hepatitis C in 2014, a record high number according to the Centers for Disease Control, and many people carrying the virus may be unaware, because symptoms are often unnoticeable. May is Hepatitis Awareness Month.

Below are Sterling’s replies to some of the questions raised on Twitter. Stay engaged with future VCU Health Twitter chats by following @VCUHealth and searching for the hashtag #VCUHealthChat.

What is hepatitis?

Hepatitis is a viral inflammation of the liver. Common types are Hepatitis A, B and C. Some causes are alcohol and prescription medications. Hepatitis can be acute or chronic. Chronic infection can lead to irreversible liver damage.

How is hepatitis contracted?

Hepatitis B and C are contracted through exposure to blood and bodily fluids via drug use, high risk sex and blood transfusions before 1991. People born between 1945 and 1965 are at higher risk for hepatitis C and should ask their doctor to be tested. Hepatitis B is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV. An infected mother can pass it to their baby at birth.

What are the symptoms of hepatitis?

Symptoms can include nausea, poor appetite, fatigue, abdominal pain, mild fever or yellow skin or eye (jaundice). Sometimes there are no symptoms for years and a patient isn’t diagnosed until liver damage has already occurred.

How common is hepatitis?

Millions of Americans are infected with the hepatitis virus. There are more than 50,000 new cases each year. About 50 percent of persons don’t know they’re infected and aren’t receiving critical treatment, and can infect others unknowingly. 

How is hepatitis diagnosed?

A simple blood test is used to diagnose hepatitis. Ask your doctor if you should be tested. VCU Hume-Lee Transplant Center now uses Fibroscan, a noninvasive office-based test to assess liver damage. Usually no biopsy is needed.

What are the complications of hepatitis?

Chronic hepatitis can lead to liver damage such as cirrhosis and liver failure, which requires a transplant. Hepatitis is also a top cause of liver cancer, the only cancer in the U.S. currently on the rise.

How can we prevent hepatitis?

There is a vaccine for hepatitis A and B that is recommended for anyone with risk factors. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C, so avoiding risk factors is key.

Early diagnosis is very important for good outcomes.

What treatments are available for hepatitis?

Hepatitis B and C need treatment and monitoring to avoid permanent liver damage or risk of cancer. Most cases of hepatitis C are now cured using new treatments. Early diagnosis is very important for good outcomes. Follow @VCUTransplant on Twitter or visit www.vcuhealth.org/transplant for more information.

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