All Boomers Should Be Tested for Hep C

Baby boomers, those people born between 1945 and 1965 (you know who they are), should be tested for the Hepatitis C virus, according to the latest advice from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Who they? A group of independent health experts appointed by the government. The new advice represents a change of heart: just eight months ago the same group concluded that screening all boomers would benefit only a small number of people. That benefit is now described as “moderate,” an upgrade sufficient to recommend wider testing, as has been recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HealthDay described hepatitis C as a leading cause of liver damage and liver disease in the United States, and one that is considered a silent killer because it progresses without any indications of illness. More than 30 percent of U.S. patients needing liver transplants have end-stage liver disease related to hepatitis C. Screening for the disease involves a simple blood test. Read more from HealthDay.