title: Hepatitis C in the elderly: epidemiology, natural history, and treatment.
abstract: Hepatitis C continues to be a major public health problem affecting approximately 3% of the global population. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 170 million people have chronic hepatitis C. Ten percent to 20% of those who are chronically infected with hepatitis C will progress to cirrhosis and 5% will develop hepatocellular carcinoma. Although the safety and efficacy of hepatitis C therapies have been studied extensively in patients between the ages of 18 and 65, patients who are older than 65 still remain an understudied and difficult-to-treat population. This review discusses the epidemiology, natural history, and treatment of chronic hepatitis C in older adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201-1595, USA. amindiko@medicine.umaryland.edu
authors.forename: Ayse L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Mindikoglu
authors.forename: Ram R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
chemical_list: D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D007372:Interferons; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a