Hepatitis C (cont.)

Outlook

Hepatitis C varies greatly in its long-term effects.

• Some people never develop severe complications of the disease.
• At least 75% of people infected with HCV develop chronic hepatitis, and 30% of these people go on to develop cirrhosis. Chronic liver disease because of hepatitis C causes 10,000 deaths each year in the United States.
• Cirrhosis from chronic hepatitis C can lead to liver failure. If damage is severe, liver transplantation is the only treatment.
• Cirrhosis from chronic hepatitis C may lead to liver cancer.

A small number of people with hepatitis C develop complications outside the liver. These may affect the skin and connective tissues of the body, the blood or bone marrow, the muscles, the joints, or the kidneys.

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