Dangerous Liaisons: The Intersection of Diabetes and Hepatitis C

1. There are well over 2.4 million people in the US who are living with HCV and the number is increasing.

a) True
b) False

2. HCV disease and complications are estimated to account for over 15,000 US deaths annually.

a) True
b) False

3. Native Americans have higher rates of HCV infection than the general population and have higher rates of mortality from HCV than any other racial/ethnic group.

a) True
b) False

4. Rates of progression to cirrhosis are increased in the presence of a variety of factors, including which of the following:

a) Being male
b) Being age >50 years
c) Consuming alcohol
d) Having nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, hepatitis B, or HIV coinfection
e) Receiving immunosuppressive therapy
f) Having diabetes (also increases risk of decompensated cirrhosis).
g) All of the above

5. SVR (cure) of HCV is associated with which of the following:

a) 70% reduction of liver cancer
b) 50% reduction in all-cause mortality
c) 90% reduction in liver failure
d) All of the above

6. NAFLD and NASH are very common in the clinical practice of primary care physicians. Fatty liver is not always benign; NASH is the progressive form of NAFLD.

a) True
b) False

7. Although there are currently no FDA approved medications to treat NASH, weight loss with lifestyle modification can improve steatosis and fibrosis.

a) True
b) False