ABSTRACT
Background and aim: Egypt has the highest prevalence of hepatitis C virus [HCV] infection in the world. At an older age, infected patients usually have lower rates of HCV clearance as well as higher rates of cirrhosis. The aim of this work was to study the actual prevalence, characteristics, and risk factors of HCV infection in elderly Egyptian individuals [>60 years] living in rural areas of Sharkia governorate and to assess the role of associated diseases [e.g. diabetes mellitus and hypertension] that are common in this age group
Patients and methods: A total of 115 male and 99 female nonhospitalized elderly individuals [mean age 64.37 +/- 4.74 years] were enrolled in this study. They were recruited from rural areas in Sharkia by a systemic 1: 4 sampling procedure. A questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics was conducted, and information on risk factors for HCV infection and history of other comorbid diseases was recorded. Serodiagnosis of HCV infection was performed and for the positive cases, abdominal ultrasonography and liver function tests were performed
Results: The prevalence of HCV was 28% among the group studied. No association was found between sociodemographic data and HCV prevalence. Among the risk factors, a history of schistosomiasis treatment, blood transfusion, previous use of glass syringes, previous surgery, previous endoscopic intervention, repeated dental manipulations, and the presence of other infected members in the family were all significant factors [P<0.05]. History of previous liver disease and renal dialysis were significantly [P<0.05] associated with the prevalence of HCV, whereas diabetes mellitus and a history of ischemic heart disease were not
Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of HCV among elderly individuals living in rural areas in Sharkia, with many risk factors suspected to be the cause