Baby Boomers and Hepatitis C: What’s the Connection?
Born between 1945 and 1965? Here’s why you need to get tested.
Here’s a puzzle: Baby boomers are certainly not five times more likely to use injection drugs than other adults, so why are they five times more likely to have hepatitis C?
It may be no fault of their own. “This generation grew up before the hepatitis C virus was first identified in 1989” says internist Paul Knoepflmacher, MD. “It’s likely that boomers who have it were infected during medical procedures that occurred before we had better screening.” (Screening of the blood supply and organ donations didn’t begin until 1992.)
Because of this exposure, the CDC recommends a one-time test for all baby boomers, those born between 1945 and 1965. But here’s the thing: recent studies show that only about 13 percent of baby boomers have actually gotten that test. (Here’s more info about why getting tested for hepatitis C is so important.)
Symptoms of hepatitis C are subtle, and many of those infected don’t experience any noticeable symptoms. (Learn more about the symptoms of hepatitis C here.) That means hepatitis C can linger silently for decades before leading to more serious conditions, like cirrhosis or liver cancer.
“People who were infected 20 or 30 years ago may just be starting to show signs of liver damage now,” says Dr. Knoepflmacher. “Testing is critical so you can get diagnosed, treated, and cured.”
Thankfully, medications for hepatitis C have improved. While previous meds had more severe side effects, newer drugs take just 12 weeks and have a 95 percent cure rate.
Even better news: Not only can treatment prevent further damage to the liver, but liver health can actually improve overtime after you’ve been cured of the virus. If you’re a baby boomer or have other risk factors for hepatitis C, talk to your doctor about getting tested.
Dr. Knoepflmacher is a clinical instructor of medicine at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, where he also maintains a private practice.
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Some of my patients are surprised when I
recommend they get tested for Hepatitis C.
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They don't use recreational drugs or
share needles,
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so why should they get tested?
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Baby boomers,
people born between 1945 to 1965,
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are five times more likely to have
hepatitis C than other adults.
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That's why the CDC recommends
a one-time test for
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baby boomers even if you have
absolutely zero risk for hepatitis C.
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It's not clear why so many boomers have
hepatitis C, but we do know that most of
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them haven't been tested and
most of them don't know they have it.
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This generation grew up before
the hepatitis C virus was first identified
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in 1989.
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So it's likely that boomers who have it
were infected during medical procedures
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that occurred before we
had better screening.
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In fact, a study published in
the medical journal The Lancet,
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suggests that unsafe medical procedures
are the primary reason baby boomers
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have a greater risk of hepatitis C, and
not because of recreational drug use.
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Since many people can live with hepatitis
C for decades without symptoms or
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feeling sick, testing is critical so
you can get diagnosed, treated, and cured.
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People who are infected 20 or
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30 years ago may just be starting
to show signs of liver damage now.
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In the past, treating hepatitis C was
challenging because the medications had
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serious side effects and
were much less effective.
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Newer types of drugs have
improved treatment dramatically.
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In many cases, you take these drugs for
just 12 weeks and
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they can have a 95% cure rate.
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Now being cured means the virus
is no longer in your body and
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can no longer cause damage to the liver.
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And even if you have some liver
damage already, for most people,
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liver scarring can slowly improve over
time after you've been cured of the virus.
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So I like to think of
hepatitis C as an iceberg.
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The tip of the iceberg is what we see now,
but
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these are people who were
infected decades ago, so
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we need to get to the people that
are underneath the level of the water and
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offer them diagnosis and treatment.
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Hepatitis C FAQs for the public. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Accessed on January 1, 2021 at https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hcv/cfaq.htm.)
Most baby boomers not getting recommended test for hepatitis C. Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society, 2017. (Accessed on January 1, 2021 at https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/most-baby-boomers-not-getting-recommended-test-for-hepatitis-c.html.)