Screen All Baby Boomers for Hepatitis C, Expert Panel Says

This generation has highest rate of infection, likely contracted decades ago

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, June 24 (HealthDay News) -- All adults born between 1945 and 1965 -- the baby boom generation -- should be screened for the hepatitis C virus along with injection-drug users and anyone transfused before 1992, according to new recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

The guidelines, released Monday, mirror recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and provide a long-awaited policy from the task force, an independent panel of experts.

"For everyone born between 1945 and 1965 we recommend a one-time screening," said task force member Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, an associate professor in residence at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine.

People in this age group account for three-quarters of all hepatitis C cases in the United States, Bibbins-Domingo said. Many contracted the disease decades ago but don't know it.

Hepatitis C -- a leading cause of liver damage and liver disease in the United States -- is considered a silent killer because it progresses without any indications of illness. More than 30 percent of U.S. patients needing liver transplants have end-stage liver disease related to hepatitis C.

"The challenge is that many people have hepatitis C and don't have signs and symptoms of the disease," Bibbins-Domingo said. "Those people should be identified and consider treatment."

An estimated 3.9 million people are infected with hepatitis C in the United States, the task force said. Unlike other types of hepatitis, there is no vaccine for hepatitis C.

In its 2004 statement, the task force advised against routine screening of adults without symptoms and high risk of infection. It also said it had too little evidence to recommend for or against routine screening for adults with high risk of infection.

It became apparent, however, that two-thirds of infected people weren't getting screened, while treatment was becoming more successful.

"Many people appear to benefit from treatment," Bibbins-Domingo said. "That is what led the task force to conclude that it is beneficial for people to find out they have hepatitis C in order to seek treatment."

Dr. Marc Siegel, an associate professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, said he welcomes the new guidelines, which were published June 25 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

"I am absolutely thrilled that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which has had a head-in-the-sand approach toward screening, has come out for a one-time screening for hepatitis C," Siegel said.

Siegel encourages everyone at risk to get tested.

Screening for hepatitis C involves a simple, inexpensive blood test. Those who test positive usually receive a course of antiviral medication over several months. Most people have no detectable virus following treatment, Bibbins-Domingo said.

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Working out to loose weight - Requesting expert guidance please.

Hi CC peeps,

Please guide me :-)

Height/weight/Age/Gender : 153 cm/72 Kg/35/Female

Work : 8 am to 5 Pm.

Diet : 1200 calories per day, 8 glasses of water.

Work out : (Since past 3 days, with personal trainer, 1 Hour morning , 2 Hour evening , total 3 hours per day)

Day type 1 : 60 Min elliptical + 60 Min elliptical ?? + 60 Min floor exercise and weights.

Day type 2 : 60 Min elliptical + 30 Min Cycling + 30 Min elliptical + 60 Min floor exercise, crunch, streach, weights

PS : My elliptical settings are ?(Cross ramp 5, resistance 9, 98 steps per minute). One hour in morning - one in evening - alternate days as above programme.

I have deficit of 1330 calories per day on average as per calorie count. I should have lost half KG after 3.5 days of workout. But it did not happen. Will I loose weight? When will I see a difference? Currently I am sore all over :-) even my boob muscles are sore .. dang!

Please help - and guide me - what can be done better?

Sherry.

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Expert Reviews: Timothy Ferriss’s 4-Hour Body

Lose 20 pounds of fat in 30 days (without exercise)? Achieve a 15-minute orgasm?

All this and more is not just possible, it’s probable, says Tim Ferriss, author of the best-selling book, 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman.

In his book, Ferriss covers diet, sleep (suggesting six 20-minute naps a day as opposed to 8 straight hours of sleep), exercise, sex, and the perks of medical tourism or undergoing tests or treatment outside the U.S.

Is there any scientific evidence to support some of the outlandish, outrageous claims in Ferriss’s 500-plus page book?

Tim Ferriss is not a doctor, nutritionist, or scientist. He is a 33-year-old author and blogger. He has served as his own guinea pig since high school to develop the program he details in his new book. He did run many of his ideas by a panel of experts, including athletes and scientists, and urges people to see their doctor before following any of his advice.

The book's premise is simple: Less is more, and small, simple changes produce long-lasting effects. “There is zero room for misunderstanding and visible results compel you to continue,” Ferriss writes in his book. “If results are fast and measurable, self-discipline isn't needed.”

How fast and measurable? How about 20 pounds in 30 days without exercise? Ferriss’s "slow-carb" diet promises just that.

The rules are simple (and likely familiar to anyone who has tried a low-carb diet): Avoid white bread, white rice, potatoes, and other white carbs.

Ferriss also says no to whole grains and steel-cut oats, which are often touted as healthy carbs due to their high fiber content. His rapid weight loss plan outlaws all fruit and dairy (except cottage cheese) and involves one “all-you-can-eat day” each week. Cottage cheese speeds fat loss, unlike other dairy products, which slow it, Ferriss writes.

Ferriss suggests eating the same small meals over and over and over again.

He cautions against drinking your calories but allows two glasses of red wine each night (preferably a dry Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Merlot). “Red wine is by no means required for this diet to work, but it’s 100% allowed (unlike white wines and beer, both which should be avoided),” he writes.

Does this diet make sense?

“The whole notion of avoiding white carbs that turn quickly into sugar is a good thing to do,” says James P. Nicolai, MD, medical director of the Andrew Weil, M.D. Integrative Wellness Program at Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa in Tucson, Ariz.

Also, “it can be helpful to eat the same meals each day because you don’t think about food, as opposed to ‘I am really hungry and don’t have food to eat,” Nicolai says. The latter can set you up for making unhealthy food choices.

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High-Fiber Diet Helps Heart Too, Expert Says

Title: High-Fiber Diet Helps Heart Too, Expert Says
Category: Health News
Created: 3/2/2013 10:35:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 3/4/2013 12:00:00 AM

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Winter Weather Plays a Role in Spring Allergies, Expert Says

Title: Winter Weather Plays a Role in Spring Allergies, Expert Says
Category: Health News
Created: 3/2/2013 10:35:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 3/4/2013 12:00:00 AM

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Expert Answers to Your Fine Line Questions

By Ayren Jackson-Cannady
WebMD Magazine - Feature

Looking for new products to fight those pesky fine lines on your face? Our two experts -- both dermatologists -- told us about the night creams, day creams, cleansers, and even supplements they like the best.

Rachel Herschenfeld, MD's Top Picks

(Dermatologist, Dermatology Partners Inc., Wellesley Hills, Mass.)

RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream ($21.99) "You can't really stop skin aging, but you can slow some changes, prevent others, and partially reverse the rest. Retinoids are one of the most effective ingredients. Retinol -- the over-the-counter version -- can stimulate collagen formation and help even out skin tone."

Aqua Glycolic Face Cream ($24.95) "In addition to stimulating collagen for a plumping effect, glycolic acid exfoliates the top layer of dead skin cells, revealing smoother skin that radiates by reflecting light more evenly. Apply at night, since the ingredients can make you more sensitive to the sun. (Don't use with the RoC retinol product.)"

SkinMedica AHA/BHA Cream ($40) "If you see fine lines and acne, look for a product that contains both glycolic acid or AHA and salicylic acid or BHA. Salicylic acid helps unclog pores and reduce acne and blackheads. Use every other night as a p.m. moisturizer. (Don't use this product with the retinol or glycolic products mentioned.)"

Heliocare Daily Use Antioxidant Formula ($30.99) "You need to wear sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 daily, year-round. You could also try taking an OTC pill infused with an extract from the antioxidant-packed fern plant Polypodium leucotomos. Some studies show it may increase the skin's resistance to sunburn."

Sonia Badreshia-Bansal,MD's Top Picks

(Clinical instructor in dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, and CEO, Elite MD, Danville, Calif.)

Olay Complete Daily Defense All Day Moisturizer ($14.99) "Sunscreen is your first line of defense to prevent skin aging. Physical blockers like this, made with micronized zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, provide UVA and UVB protection without causing sensitivity. Physical blockers sit on top of skin to reflect UV rays (while ingredients in chemical blockers penetrate the skin instead)."

RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Filler ($21.99) "Vitamin A creams [OTC retinol and prescription-strength Retin-A] prevent fine lines, exfoliate to speed up cell renewal, and lighten brown spots. Start slowly -- use just once or twice a week -- because the superstar ingredient can cause peeling if your skin isn't used to it. Apply at night."

Replenix Cream ($67) "As the skin ages, it becomes drier and more easily irritated. A moisturizer infused with a free-radical-fighting antioxidant like green tea boosts hydration and improves overall skin health. Apply it over your sunscreen daily or a few times a week."

Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub ($5.99) "The older you get, the slower cell turnover becomes, causing skin cell buildup and a dull complexion. Remove the top layer of skin twice a week with a beaded exfoliating wash -- just apply to your fingertips and gently rub in a circular motion over damp skin -- to help remove these dead cells and stimulate new cell growth."

The opinions expressed in this section are of the experts and are not the opinions of WebMD. WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service, or treatment.

Find more articles, browse back issues, and read the current issue of "WebMD Magazine." 

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