The percentages Of those individuals who have hepatitis C, only about 20 percent will develop cirrhosis, which studies show usually appears an average of 24 years after initial viral contact. Lee and Monsour emphasize that cirrhosis is not an automatic death knell. Why the disease behaves differently in individual patients is unknown. Studies are under way to learn why some people advance to cirrhosis, while others don't seem to be affected much by the virus. Dr. Monsour's study of the disease, including his own research, has shown that while the course of the disease varies from person to person, the following factors seem to influence its course.
Viral levels appear to increase the longer a person has been infected.
Immune response may play a role in the ability of some people to clear the infection spontaneously. Alcohol use is a known cofactor for contributing to and accelerating the progression of liver disease. What's unclear is the amount of alcohol that can be tolerated. Therefore, abstinence is the best advice for all patients living with the virus. The experts urge physicians to keep hepatitis C on their radar screens.