About Liver Disease 

There are more than 100 liver diseases, including Hepatitis and cirrhosis. Liver diseases affect both children and adults, many of whom who have not been diagnosed. All totaled, liver disease is one the 10 major causes of death in the United States.

Many serious liver diseases are potentially preventable; education about them can give individuals an opportunity to participate in their own preventive health care.

Liver Functions

The liver plays an important part in the body. It converts food to stored energy and chemicals needed for life, growth, digestion, and more. In addition, it filters alcohol and other toxic substances out of the body and processes drugs and medicine. 
 
 

Facts and Figures

• 25,000,000 Americans - one in every 10 - are or have been afflicted with liver, bile duct, or gallbladder diseases.
• More than 25,000 Americans die each year from chronic liver diseases and cirrhosis.
• More than 300,000 people are hospitalized each year due to cirrhosis.
• An estimated 25,000 people were newly infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 2001.
•  One out of every 250 people is a carrier of hepatitis B and can pass it on to others, often unknowingly.
• Hepatitis B is much more infectious than HIV, the virus that causes AIDS (There are 500 million hepatitis B viral particles in one teaspoon of blood compared to 5-10 HIV particles). 
• During epidemic years, the number of reported cases of hepatitis A reached 35,000.
• Approximately 5,000 live transplants were performed in 2000. 
• Because of the shortage of organs, it is estimated that nearly 1,700 prospective recipients died in 2001 while waiting for a liver transplant.  
• There are currently more than 18,000 people waiting for a liver transplant.