About Chronic Hepatitis B
This section can help answer the following questions:
What is chronic hepatitis B?
How common is it?
Why don’t I feel sick?
What can I do about it?
Chronic hepatitis B is an infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). HBV attacks the liver and can cause liver problems or even cancer.1
Currently, around 400 million people worldwide have chronic hepatitis B — including about 2 million people in the United States.2
Some people with chronic hepatitis B feel sick, but others do not. A person may feel healthy, even while the virus is damaging the liver.3
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Healthy Liver |
Damaged Liver |
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Medicines for chronic hepatitis B help lower the amount of virus in the body. Experts say keeping the level of the virus low can help slow down liver damage.1
The goal of hepatitis B treatment1
AMOUNT
OF VIRUS
LIVER
DAMAGE
More information sources
Here are several places you can turn to for more answers about chronic hepatitis B:
www.AsianLiver.com
American Liver Foundation — www.liverfoundation.org
Asian Liver Center, Stanford School of Medicine — liver.stanford.edu
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — www.cdc.gov
Immunization Action Coalition/Hepatitis A, B, and C Prevention Programs — www.hepprograms.org
Hepatitis B Information and Support List. To subscribe, send a blank email message to: hepatitis-b-on@mail-list.com
American Cancer Society, New York Chinese Unit — (718) 886-8890
Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York, Inc. — www.kcsny.org
Hepatitis Foundation International — www.hepfi.org
References: 1. Lok ASF,McMahon BJ. Chronic hepatitis B (AASLD practice guidelines). Hepatology. 2007;45(2):507-539. 2. Gish RG, Gadano AC. Chronic hepatitis B: current epidemiology in the Americas and implications for management. J Viral Hepat. 2006;13:787-798. 3. Hepatitis B. Rochester, MN: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2008. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hepatitis-b/DS00398. Accessed January 26, 2009.
