For exhanging tips and sharing other information, please also visit Hep Home at http://groups.myspace.com/HepHome.


About 1 out of 50 people in the U.S. may be infected with the hepatitis C virus. Most do not know it. There is a simple blood test to find out. Ask your doctor or other health professional if you need to be tested.

Liver fibrosis usually eventually occurs in people infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Certain lifestyle traits affect the rate of fibrosis progression. A "healthy lifestyle" can slow fibrosis progression. This group tries to get a handle on what those healthy lifestyle traits are.

There are about 1.7 million Americans who may be infected with HCV. Additionally, there are about 400,000 Americans who are infected by HCV and HIV. HCV/HIV co-infection makes the HCV portion of the infection more serious. One of the topics in this group is about HIV/HCV co-infection.

Progression of liver fibrosis occurs gradually and may occur without major signs or symptoms, but the liver gradually becomes damaged. The damage can continue to the point of cirrhosis of the liver. With cirrhosis of the liver, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, or liver cancer) and liver failure become more likely.

Fibrosis progression can be slowed down by avoiding alcohol, avoiding tobacco, avoiding excessive body weight, avoiding acetaminophen (which is found in over-the-counter pain remedies for headaches, colds, etc.), avoiding iron-rich foods and avoiding iron supplements, and avoiding excessive food (especially excessive fat, sugar and refined carbohydrates).

Recommendations for a Healthy Lifestyle for Those With HCV Infections
1. Avoid alcohol.
2. Lose weight if you are overweight, but do so slowly.
3. Avoid iron supplements and avoid iron-rich foods such as clams, unless your laboratory values show a low iron level.
4. If you smoke tobacco, quit. Try, try, and try again until you succeed.
5. Consider taking supplements (but not iron!) such as vitamins C, D, E, and B-12. Vitamin K or foods rich in vitamin K may help avoid liver cancer. Vitamin K may be found in certain vegetables (see the topic on vitamin K). (Better to leave vitamin A alone, but eat plenty of fruits and vegetables so your body won't need extra vitamin A.)
6. Include foods that contain healthy oils, such as sardines, walnuts, extra-virgin olive oil, canola oil and nuts.
7. Consider interferon plus ribavirin therapy.
8. Get vaccinated against other diseases such as hepatitis A and hepatitis B. You probably should get flu shots every year. Get vaccinated with the pneumococcal vaccine. Visit http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/c/index.htm for HCV information, click on the link "Vaccinations for Adults with Hepatitis C" which will take you to http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/4042hepc.htm, which in turn will take you to a pdf at http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/4042hepc.pdf that will tell you what you should be vaccinated for.
9. Click on Fibrosis and HCV's "View All Topics" button for more ideas, such as "coffee."

Your medical doctor should be the final authority.

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