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Prognosis
The infection with a hepatitis C virus is sometimes self-limited but can become chronic and lead to severe consequences. Studies show that a self-limited disease can be found in a variable number of patients, ranging between 15-50%. But the vast majority of patients enter a chronic stage of the disease in around 70-80% of cases. This disease does not always give away signs and symptoms, and patients sometimes realize they have an infection after 20 years when 20% of them develop cirrhosis.
The disease is more severe in adults and older adults. Conversely, it leads to fewer consequences when it starts in the early life of pediatric patients. However, it is always more severe when there’s coinfection with hepatitis B virus and other liver diseases such as alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency or an iron overload. In these cases, there’s a higher risk of cirrhosis and other serious consequences.
According to a study performed in the United States and Europe, the survival rate of hepatitis C is very high. It is placed at 89% in 5 years and 79% in 10 years. However, 20% of those patients develop cirrhosis and severe hepatic complications after 10 years, and 10% of them develop liver cancer with a high mortality rate. However, the risk of cirrhosis is doubled in patients who were infected by a blood transfusion.
The average time to develop cirrhosis is usually 30 years after the infection if no other hepatic disease speeds up the process. Other factors that influence the progression of the disease include immunosuppression, alcohol use, the age and sex of the patient, concomitant hepatic disease of any kind, and iron status.
