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Hepatitis
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Definition of Hepatitis
An inflammation of the liver caused by a number of etiologic agents, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, drugs, and chemicals. The most common infectious hepatitis is of viral etiology.
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Hepatitis C Infection May Not Always Lead to Chronic Liver Disease
Hepatitis C, one type of virus known to infect the liver, may progress to chronic liver disease less frequently than has been thought, according to a study published in the Jan. 18 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. "We have known for some time that not everyone who is infected with hepatitis C [HCV] will go on to develop more severe disease. This study supports findings from other studies we have done showing that HCV infection and chronic liver disease are related, but chronic liver disease does not necessarily follow HCV infection," says lead author Leonard Seeff, MD, senior scientist for hepatitis C at the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, in an interview with WebMD.
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New Hepatitis C Treatment Looks Promising.
A newly-developed form of interferon -- the gold standard for treating hepatitis C infection -- may offer hope for the nearly three million U.S. patients suffering from the chronic, potentially liver-destroying disease. Researchers have found that by attaching a specialized molecule to the basic form of interferon, they can create a longer-lasting drug that patients need less of, less often. And peginterferon, as it's called, produces equally good, or even better, results.
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New Hepatitis C Treatment Looks Promising
A newly-developed form of interferon -- the gold standard for treating hepatitis C infection -- may offer hope for the nearly three million U.S. patients suffering from the chronic, potentially liver-destroying disease. Researchers have found that by attaching a specialized molecule to the basic form of interferon, they can create a longer-lasting drug that patients need less of, less often. And peginterferon, as it's called, produces equally good, or even better, results.
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The Earlier, the Better for Treating Hepatitis C
Infection with the hepatitis C virus is the No. 1 cause of chronic liver disease in the U.S., but it usually takes decades for life-threatening complications to develop. Now, new research suggests that treating people within months of initial infection may be the key to preventing the damaging liver effects of hepatitis C. Researchers from Germany's Medical University of Hannover found that people treated within the first three to six months of infection successfully cleared the virus and did not develop chronic infection, the most harmful and deadly form of the infection. Their study will appear in the Nov. 15 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine but was released early due to its potential impact on treatment.
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What Is Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is a liver disease. Hepatitis makes your liver swell and stops it from working right. You need a healthy liver. The liver does many things to keep you alive. The liver fights infections and stops bleeding. It removes drugs and other poisons from your blood. The liver also stores energy for when you need it.
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Hepatitis C Bad for Heart
People with hepatitis C infection risk heart disease, a Japanese study suggests. Many different kinds of infections seem to increase the risk of heart disease. Why this happens isn't clear. The whole issue is still controversial. University of Tokyo researcher Nobukazu Ishizaka, MD, and co-workers looked at the general health screening tests from 4,784 people. Blood tests showed that 104 of these people carried the hepatitis C virus (HCV).
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Race Influences Liver Transplants
Previous studies have shown that blacks fare worse than other groups after a kidney transplant. Now, researchers have shown the same holds true for liver transplantation. Apparently, blacks, as well as Asians, are significantly more likely than other races to experience organ rejection or to die following the procedure. The reason for this unfortunate discrepancy remains unclear.
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Living-Donor Transplants - The Gift of Life
Juanita Chavez and her sister Maria Elena were always very close. But until last year, neither could have imagined that one of them would give the other the gift of life by donating part of a major organ. At age 30, Juanita had been suffering from liver disease -- triggered by chronic hepatitis -- for a decade. Her body's immune system was attacking her liver. By last summer, Juanita's condition had dramatically worsened. Her skin turned yellow. Her belly swelled so much, she joked that she almost looked pregnant. She endured grueling cramps in her legs, arms, and hands. And she had less and less energy, making it harder and harder just to get through the day.
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New Hepatitis C Drug Improves Quality of Life
Patients being treated for hepatitis C infection often feel the cure is worse than the disease. Common side effects of therapy - including severe fatigue and depression, flu-like symptoms, and anemia - cause many people to abandon therapy long before they should. But company-sponsored research now suggests that a newly available form of a long-relied-upon treatment is not only more effective in clearing the hepatitis C virus (HCV) from the blood, it is also easier for people to tolerate. Those treated with the drug, known as pegylated interferon, reported having significantly better quality of life both during the 48-week course of treatment and after treatment ended. PEGASYS is the brand name of the drug used in this study.
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Pamela Anderson Says She Has Hepatitis C
Former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson announced yesterday that she is being treated for hepatitis C, a potentially deadly liver disease. She says she was infected by sharing a tattoo needle with her ex-husband, rock musician Tommy Lee. Though Anderson says Lee has the disease, he has not confirmed it. So how can you satisfy your desire for a tattoo and assure that you don't contract hepatitis or other deadly diseases?
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New Hepatitis C Drugs Looking Better
The odds of beating the killer hepatitis C virus are getting better. A new study shows that basing treatment on the specific type of virus improves the odds of becoming virus free.
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Green Tea May Aid Liver Disease Patients
It's already been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer, and now there's evidence that the miracle brew -- green tea -- may help prevent transplant failure in people with liver failure.
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Liver Transplants Safe for HIV Patients
People whose livers are failing due to hepatitis C are often candidates for a liver transplant. Doctors are wary, however, about performing the surgery in people who are also infected with HIV. Now, a new study shows that this anxiety may be unfounded.
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Hepatitis C-Related Death
Hepatitis C infection has been called "the silent killer" because millions have the virus and don't know it. New therapies have made it possible to cure more than half of patients with active infection, but a handful of liver experts are now questioning whether too many patients are being treated. In a personal view essay sure to stir controversy within the hepatitis community, two Italian researchers argue that the virus may be more benign than has been portrayed in the media. They contend that alcohol consumption, and not viral infection, may be the biggest factor in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related deaths.
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