Newswise — Every Nov. 11, Americans take time to remember our nations' veterans and their extraordinary sacrifices. But we should also remember the serious health problems some of those heroes face on a daily basis, says a Saint Louis University hepatologist.
Claus Fimmel, M.D., professor of internal medicine in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and GI section chief at the John Cochran VA Medical Center, is available to discuss the challenges facing veterans with hepatitis C.
"There is never a bad time to educate the public and our nation's veterans on liver disease," Fimmel says. "But Veterans' Day is a particularly good time to raise hepatitis C awareness, and to let veterans know that help is available for them."
Hepatitis C affects approximately 5.4 percent of all veterans nationwide, more than two times the rate in the general population. Veterans at particularly high risk include those who served during the Vietnam era; the greatest risk factors for infection are a history of intravenous drug use or blood transfusions.
"Patients who come to see us for hepatitis C infection frequently have advanced liver disease and multiple associated medical problems, which makes their treatment very challenging," Fimmel says. "We have seen a dramatic increase in referrals of patient with liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, the most dangerous complications of chronic hepatitis C."
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