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We've been making strides in screening so right now there is a mandate to screen all the baby boomers because that seems to be the population of patients that tend to have the highest rate in hepatitis C. So, we are looking for them and now we are treating them with more effective therapy.
  

The baby boomer generation has the highest numbers of hepatitis C, says Lisa Ganjhu, DO, a gastroenterologist at NYU Langone Medical Center. Learn more in this video.

What Population Has the Highest Numbers of Hepatitis C?

That's the main reason was, for drug use and then through blood transfusion. 
  

The main causes of hepatitis C in the baby boomers generation has been drug use and blod transfusion, says Lisa Ganjhu, DO, a gastroenterologist at NYU Langone Medical Center. In this video learn more about the causes of hepatitis C.

What Are the Main Causes of Hepatitis C in the Baby Boomers Generation?

I came into liver disease sort of on a pathway which wasn't exactly direct. I chose both gastroenterology as well as liver specialty hepatology because of a wide variety of various diseases I was able to take care of the interface between being partially medical and partially surgical with the endoscopies and the various other procedures. 

And I just found it to be a very interesting specialty. 
  

Hepatology offers a lot of opportunity for aspiring medical professionals. In this video, HealthMaker Christopher O'Brien, MD explains why he chose the field for his career.

What Drew You to Research Hepatitis C?

In the past, I think there was perception that there might have been stigma around hepatitis C. But, at the present point in time, the recognition large number of people actually have hepatits C. They've not come forward for one reason or another, probably a lot of having to do with the type of treatment that was available, and it's also unfortunate low rate of efficacy until recently. 

Treatment has dramatically improved, first in an array of success from 10% to 25, 45 around 75 most recently. And soon to be anywhere from 95-100%, so that's one advantage. The second is toreliability, their previous treatments, someone lacked in tolerabilities because they were injectables but at this point and time we're very excited that we'll probably have oral therapy only for hepatitis C pills. 

With the new treatments coming up they should be simple enough, that any internal medicine physician should be able to administer them. They would be just a pill or two once a day for three months, with virtually no side effects, with your agents, no drug interactions. It will be like treating high blood pressure, high cholesterol, it will not be difficult. 

The major issue of course will be the cost of new therapies, and how the third party payers can look at this period. But, I think with the competition coming up between the pharmaceutical companies, adjustment in the cost we made such that we'll be able to make this available to everybody who needs the treatment. 

I'm very much an optimistic, I'm not so sure, I'm an optimistic on the vaccine quite yet. The virus is very good at mutating its surface and developing resistance to everything that we've tried so far. I may be wrong but that's going to be a little bit more of a difficult issue than the actual treatment of the disease. 

And unfortunately, once you get hepatitis C once it does protect you against getting it again, you can get it again a week later. Get treated again a third time, so there is still unmet need for vaccine. 
  

Treatment and prevention of hepatitis C are constantly being evaluated and researched for improvement potential. HealthMaker and hepatologist Christopher O'Brien, MD talks in this video about the future of the disease and how it will be handled.

New Innovations in the Treatment of Hepatitis C

hepatitis

What Population Has the Highest Numbers of Hepatitis C?

What Are the Main Causes of Hepatitis C in the Baby Boomers Generation?

What Drew You to Research Hepatitis C?

New Innovations in the Treatment of Hepatitis C

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