Only about 15% to 25% of patients who get infected with the hepatitis C virus clear the virus without any long-term health consequences.1
This is called an acute infection. Unfortunately, in the majority of people, the disease becomes chronic (continues and persists). Chronic hepatitis C is one of the most serious forms of hepatitis and poses a risk of long-term medical complications, especially if it goes untreated, such as:
- Increased risk of end-stage liver disease and liver cancer
- Liver damage that is serious enough to require a liver transplant. Chronic hepatitis C is the leading reason for liver transplantation today.
- Cirrhosis — When the liver is damaged, it tries to repair itself and forms small scars. This scar formation is called fibrosis. A greater amount of fibrosis indicates more severe and advanced disease and the liver may become cirrhotic, meaning that the liver cells begin to break down, and can no longer function normally.
Liver damage caused by chronic hepatitis C usually occurs gradually over a period of approximately 20 years, but some factors can make the disease progress much more quickly, including alcohol use, male gender, age, and HIV infection.
1Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hepatitis C: FAQs for Health Professionals. http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/HCV/HCVfaq.htm#section1. Accessed January 8, 2009.
