Assessment of the effect of smoking in patients with chronic Hepatitis-C

Abstract

Viral hepatitis is a systemic disease that attacks the liver, causing inflammation and liver damage. Hepatitis C is a progressive disease that varies from person to person. About 80 to 85 percent develop chronic hepatitis, 15 to 20 percent develop cirrhosis over a period of I 0 to 20 years, and I to 4 percent of those with cirrhosis may die of liver cancer (Hench C, et al, 2002). The prevalence of antibody to HCV m the general population is around 15-20% (Frank et a!, 2000) and I 0-20% blood (Abdel Wahab eta!, 1994, Darwish eta!, 1997). 44% of men and 34% of women aged 16 years and over have

smoked tobacco in some form> Cigarette smoking is most common between the ages of 16 and 24 years (42% in both sexes) (Kumar, ZQQ!I.). Sun CA, found a connection between the micro-anatomical signs of chronic hepatitis activity in liver and smoking. !52 men and 92 women at the average age of 45.9 years participated in the experiment. The people provided information about their smoking within the past six months and within the previous years. Average or acute activity of hepatitis was registered with 62%of non-smokers and with 81.7% of people smoker over 15 cigarettes per day (Sun, 2003).