World Hepatitis Day is an effort from Hepatitis Foundation International (HFI) aimed at reducing the incidence of preventable liver-related chronic diseases and lifestyles that negatively impact the liver. The burden of chronic hepatitis C virus infection in elderly persons is expected to increase significantly in the United States during the next two decades. Chronic infection is prevalent in elderly patients and may be more severe than in younger adults. As middle aged patients with HIV infection become elderly, the number of individuals with liver disease related to chronic hepatitis C will grow, according to the Hepatitis C Association. Other forms of the disease, including Hepatitis A and B, are also more severe in older adults. This article from the The American Journal of Gastroenterology provides a good overview of the disease and its impact in older people.
