Hepatitis Jaundice does not just look yellow

Liver Disease: World Hepatitis Day 2013: Hepatitis often goes undetected

07/27/2013

Hepatitis is one of the most common viral infections worldwide. Although almost everyone can be affected, many do not even know they are infected. The World Hepatitis Day is intended to contribute to a greater awareness of the disease for the population.

Liver suffers mute
Worldwide, it is estimated that over 500 million people have hepatitis B or C, the two most common variants. In Germany, their number is estimated by the Robert Koch Institute to be up to one million people affected. It is noteworthy that in many patients the disease remains undetected. „Few people know about it ", as the German Liver Assistance writes in Cologne.Legal inflammations caused by the hepatitis virus, would often not be noticed because the „Liver dumb suffers“, as some doctors say.

Mistake with flu-like infection
Some typical symptoms at the onset of the disease, such as fever, body aches, nausea or fatigue, are often perceived as a suspected influenza infection. But even such warning signs sometimes do not appear for years. Although elevated liver values ​​were sometimes found during routine examinations, „However, this is often ignored. "If the infections go undetected, they could lead to liver cirrhosis and cancer.

Closer than you think
On the occasion of World Hepatitis Day on Sunday, Deutsche Leberhilfe reports: „The treatment has made great progress in the last decade. "The day was launched by the World Health Organization in 2011, with the goal of global public awareness on hepatitis B and hepatitis C and encouraging prevention, diagnosis and treatment Year is the motto: „Closer than you think.“ Among other things, a photo campaign with three cloth monkeys was carried out in advance. „The three monkeys are supposed to „look away“, the „Do not listen“ and the „Do not want to talk about it“ symbolize“, it says on the website of liver help. Professor Heiner Wedemeyer, Senior Physician at the Hannover Medical School, refers to the problem: „We can only help if we know who is affected. "

Four risk groups
The Scientific Coordinator of the German Liver Foundation is in favor of screening. In his opinion, four groups should be tested: those who received a blood transfusion before 1991, who consumed the drugs, who had their tattoo stained on vacation, and „All patients with unclearly elevated liver values. "Although there are drugs that suppress the virus, but hepatitis B is not curable.Provised in 2014 and 2015, new, side-effect-free drugs against hepatitis C are allowed, so Wedemeyer on the state of the treatment options. „This will enable us to cure a chronic disease - that's almost unique in medicine. "

Cause research is progressing
There is also progress in root cause research. On the one hand, an international team of scientists under the leadership of the Bonn University Hospital has identified the possible origin of the hepatitis C virus in a comprehensive study. And second, researchers at the Frankfurt University Hospital have identified new factors that could promote hepatitis and their findings in the specialist journal „Hepatology“ released. As research group leader Christian Lange explained: „There is a strong correlation between vitamin D deficiency and the spread of hepatitis B virus in the liver. "

Vitamin D against hepatitis B?
In this study, low vitamin D levels were one of the strongest determinants of high levels of hepatitis B virus in the blood. The researchers write: „This discovery opens up completely new possibilities for the drug treatment of the disease. "For four years, they had examined more than 200 patients with chronic hepatitis B and, among other things, unusually often found a vitamin D deficiency was also observed the influence of sunlight in the summer the concentration of the vitamin in the blood rose, the virus number sank - and vice versa According to long data this suggests a causal connection between the vitamin deficiency and the viruses.The team would now examine to what extent vitamin D in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B could be used.

Germany the world leader
„Germany is the world leader in research, "says Wedemeyer, „in the supply unfortunately not. "This is the result of a Europe-wide study. In Germany there is no national action plan, there is „a patchwork quilt.“ Perhaps the World Hepatitis Day 2013 will help to improve the criticized supply. The WHO Annual General Meeting in 2010 recognized viral hepatitis with a resolution as a global health threat. (Ad)

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