Also called: Also called: HCV
Hepatitis C is one type of hepatitis – a liver disease – caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). It usually spreads through contact with infected blood. It can also spread through sex with an infected person and from mother to baby during childbirth.
Most people who are infected with hepatitis C don't have any symptoms for years. A blood test can tell if you have it. Unlike some other forms of hepatitis, hepatitis C does not get better by itself. The infection can last a lifetime and may lead to liver cancer. Medicines sometimes help, but side effects can be a problem. Serious cases may need a liver transplant.
There is no vaccine for HCV.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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Hepatitis C
(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/hepatitisc/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/hepatitiscspanish/htm/index.htm -
Hepatitis C
(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/healthscience/healthtopics/HepatitisC/overview.htm
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What I Need to Know about Hepatitis C
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/hepc_ez/
Also available in Spanish http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/spanish/pubs/hepc_ez/index.htm
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Hepatitis C(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/infections/hepatitis/071.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/common/infections/hepatitis/071.printerview.html
- Hepatitis C(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/hepatitis-c/DS00097/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- National Hepatitis C Program(Dept. of Veterans Affairs) - http://www.hepatitis.va.gov/vahep?page=pt-home
- Viral Hepatitis C(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/HepatitisC.htm
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Viral Hepatitis: A through E and Beyond(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/viralhepatitis/
- Hepatitis C Patients May Have Abnormal Blood Sugar(09/10/2008, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69110.html
- Study Disproves Belief That Hepatitis C Blunts HIV Drugs(07/25/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_67389.html
- Donor's Age Not Linked to Poor Outcomes in Liver Transplants(07/22/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_67248.html
- More News on Hepatitis C http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alphanews_h.html#hepatitisc
- Hepatitis C: The Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/hepatitis_c/test.html
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Liver Biopsy(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/liverbiopsy/
- Liver Panel(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/liver_panel/glance.html
- Viral Hepatitis(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/conditions2/hep_table.html
- Hepatitis C Treatment Decisions(Dept. of Veterans Affairs) - http://www.hepatitis.va.gov/vahep?page=treat-00-00
- Alternative and Complementary Therapies for Hepatitis C(Dept. of Veterans Affairs) - http://www.hepatitis.va.gov/vahep?page=altmed-00-00
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Hepatitis C and Complementary and Alternative Medicine(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) - http://nccam.nih.gov/health/hepatitisc/
- Hepatitis C: Diet and Nutrition(Dept. of Veterans Affairs) - http://www.hepatitis.va.gov/vahep?page=diet-00-00
- Mental Health and Hepatitis C(Dept. of Veterans Affairs) - http://www.hepatitis.va.gov/vahep?page=mental-00-00
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Chronic Hepatitis C: Current Disease Management(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/chronichepc/
- Managing Pain from Hepatitis C(Veterans Health Administration) - http://www.hepatitis.va.gov/vahep?page=pain-00-00
- Side Effects of Hepatitis C Treatment Guide(Dept. of Veterans Affairs) - http://www.hepatitis.va.gov/vahep?page=treat-05-00
- (Lack of) Universal Precautions(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) - http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/hospital/hazards/univprec/univ.html
- Alcohol and Hepatitis C(Dept. of Veterans Affairs) - http://www.hepatitis.va.gov/vahep?page=alc-00-00
- HCV-Associated Arthritis(American College of Rheumatology) - http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/hvc-associatedarthritis.asp?aud=pat
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Hepatitis C [and HIV](New Mexico AIDS Education and Training Center) - http://aidsinfonet.org/fact_sheets/view/507?lang=eng
Also available in Spanish http://aidsinfonet.org/fact_sheets/view/507?lang=spa
- Hepatitis C: Just Diagnosed(Dept. of Veterans Affairs) - http://www.hepatitis.va.gov/vahep?page=diag-00-00
- Hepatitis C: Questions to Ask Your Doctor(Dept. of Veterans Affairs) - http://www.hepatitis.va.gov/vahep?page=pttyp-ques-00
- Hepatitis C: Sex and Sexuality(Dept. of Veterans Affairs) - http://www.hepatitis.va.gov/vahep?page=sex-00-00
- Hepatitis, Viral, Type C: Health Information for International Travel(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/yellowBookCh4-HepC.aspx
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Hepatitis C(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/hepatitisc/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/hepatitiscspanish/htm/index.htm
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Hepatitis C(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Hepatitis+C%22
- Hepatitis C: Clinical Trials(Dept. of Veterans Affairs) - http://www.hepatitis.va.gov/vahep?page=treat-04-00
- Sustained Virologic Response in Hepatitis C(American College of Physicians) - http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/147/10/I-47
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Emerging therapies for hepatitis C and HIV in drug abusers:... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18681195&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Underlying pathophysiology of HCV infection in HIV-positive drug users. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18681194&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Obstacles to successful HCV treatment in substance addicted patients. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18681192&tool=MedlinePlus
- Hepatitis C -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=hepatitis+c[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+review[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+systematic[sb]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases: Physician Referral Service(American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases) - http://publish.aasld.org/yourliver/Pages/PhysicianReferralService.aspx
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - http://www.cdc.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/
- Hepatitis Foundation International - http://www.hepfi.org/
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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/
- Hepatitis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hepatitis.html
- Hepatitis A - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hepatitisa.html
- Hepatitis B - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hepatitisb.html
- Liver Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/liverdiseases.html
- Liver Transplantation - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/livertransplantation.html
- Digestive System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/digestivesystem.html
- Infections - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/infections.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Hepatitis C is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/