Aim: To investigate prevalence, clinical picture and course of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in elderly patients.
Material and methods: A total of 1045 patients aged 60- 74 years with chronic diseases of the liver (CDL) were examined for hepatitis.
Results: HCV monoinfection was detected in 210 (20.1%) patients. Alcohol-viral etiology of HCV was revealed in 22% cases. HCV RNA was identified in 117 (76%) out of 154 elderly patients. All the HCV infected patients had 1b genotype, high viremia. Pain and asthenic syndromes were main clinical manifestations of HCV infection. Most often the activity of HCV infection in the elderly patients was low (88.6%), progression was slow (94.7%). The latter was registered in 22.8% patients. HCV infection in the elderly entails higher inflammation activity and incidence of HCV RNA.
Conclusion: Complex examination of elderly patients for early detection of HCV, early diagnosis and treatment slows down progression of CDL, reduces the rate of development of severe complications and lethality.