Can drinking coffee help slow the effects of chronic hepatitis C? According to a new study, people with hepatitis C who drank three or more cups of coffee per day had a lower risk of liver disease progression (53% lower risk) than non-coffee drinkers.

The research, published in the journal Hepatology, followed 766 patients who all had chronic hepatitis C with detectable HCV RNA, advanced hepatic fibrosis (liver scarring), and interestingly, previously treated with peginterferon and ribavirin but didn't reach SVR (What Is SVR?). Compared to the non-coffee drinking patients, people who drank more coffee had less progression of liver disease. Those who drank one to three cups of coffee per day were 30 percent less likely to progress, but those who drank three or more cups each day had a 53 percent lower risk.

So what do we make of this research? Should we all start drinking coffee in hopes of a healthy liver? At this point, this is just interesting information. There are over one thousand chemical compounds in coffee and no one knows which are responsible for any potential benefit. Since this is the first study to compare the effects of coffee on people with hepatitis C, more studies are needed. However, according to the study's researchers, the idea of drinking a cup of coffee (or three, actually!) to help the liver isn't as strange as it may seem. Drinking coffee could affect liver disease by affecting insulin and glucose levels in the blood. Furthermore, coffee may actually reduce inflammation that can lead to fibrosis and cirrhosis.

Of course, avid puzzlers usually enjoy the kind published in the Sunday New York Times, but here are some hepatitis B-themed examples you may also enjoy. To complete Hepatitis B and Me, you'll need to use your basic knowledge of hepatitis B. Likewise, here's another crossword puzzle that you'll need to use what you already know to finish. It also includes a word search where you need to find 33 hepatitis-related words hidden in a jumble of letters.

Before you start these, you can refresh your understanding of hepatitis B by reviewing this short introduction to HBV Infection.

Knowing which viruses are more likely to spread during sexual contact is just one step in protecting yourself. The second step is to understand the best way in preventing spread. Vaccination is a good prevention strategy for hepatitis A and hepatitis B. Here's more information about the hepatitis A vaccine and the hepatitis B vaccine. However, preventing hepatitis C requires a different approach because no vaccine is currently available.

Ms. Parker, a 26-year-old former surgery technician, stole syringes filled with the pain medication fentanyl. After injecting herself with the drug, she refilled the syringes with a saline solution and allowed them to be used by patients, even though she apparently knew she had hepatitis C. Sixteen people have been linked to Ms. Parker by DNA testing. However, Colorado state health officials suspect 27 people will ultimately be linked, while federal prosecutors believe 35 people will be linked.

Originally Ms. Parker plead not guilty to a 42-count indictment. However, based on last month's plea, she admitted guilt to five counts of tampering with a consumer product and five counts of obtaining a controlled substance by deceit.

For more information on these exposures, please check previous coverage on July 5, July 13 and July 21.

Of the five hepatitis viruses, the first three get all the press and attention. This is with good reason, because of these five, hepatitis A, B and C cause the most disease here in the United States and many other developed countries. However, is it worth knowing more about the viruses that cause hepatitis D and E?

These two viruses, though lesser known, are very interesting and in some locations, cause significant disease. For example, hepatitis D isn't even a complete virus capable of causing an infection. To cause disease, it must infect people who already have hepatitis B. Currently, it seems that hepatitis D is endemic in Mediterranean countries and the Far East.

Hepatitis E is like hepatitis A in many ways, but is really dangerous for pregnant women. It can cause fulminant hepatic failure in up to 25% of pregnant women. There's no vaccine yet, and it's the second most common cause of sporadic hepatitis in the Middle East and North Africa. Currently, hepatitis E is a huge public health problem in Uganda.

Neither of these viruses are common yet in the United States, but they are here. As travel becomes more common into and out of areas endemic with hepatitis D and E, the epidemiology (locations and populations) of these infections may shift. Whether this happens sooner or later, it's in the public's interest for these viruses to become better known.

Long-distance truck drivers would probably benefit from hepatitis testing and education, suggests a new study of 652 truck drivers in New Mexico from December 2004 through March 2006. Additionally, the study recommended screening and risk-reduction interventions for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

The researchers note that truckers in other countries, mostly developing and generally unstable, have been linked to the spread of certain diseases (especially sexually transmitted infections). However, not much is known about how long-distance truckers in the United States might be involved with spreading HIV or other STIs. To better understand this population, researchers conducted studies at a large trucking terminal near Albuquerque, New Mexico, and ten truck stops along various New Mexico Interstate highways.

Results of the study showed that 8.5 percent tested positive for hepatitis C and 10.4 percent tested positive for anti-HBc (hepatitis B core antibodies). For more information about the study, check out the American Journal of Public Health.

This work is interesting because it may offer better insight into how medicine can treat hepatitis C. Current treatment only works in about half of the patients (depending on the viral genotype) and has significant side effects. Any advancement that improves these results could potentially benefit millions of people worldwide.

This work, led by Australian geneticist Dr. David Booth of the Westmead Millennium Institute and Professor Jacob George of the University of Sydney, is published in Nature Genetics. More information is available in the official media release.

You know about hepatitis A and B. There's also hepatitis C and D. There's even hepatitis E. So, that takes care of the first five letters of the viral alphabet. But, wait there's more! Or, is there?

Does the hepatitis alphabet include hepatitis G? Well, yes, there is a hepatitis G; however, it may not cause hepatitis. If you're thoroughly confused about this, don't worry. All is explained in Is Hepatitis G Real?

Here's an opportunity to see if you understand the basics of hepatitis C. This short quiz will test your knowledge on all the essential hepatitis C information: symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. It's a good chance to find out what you correctly know and what you think you know. Enjoy!

As some of you may know, there is a relatively small hepatitis A outbreak happening in western Illinois and eastern Iowa. All of them are connected in some way to a McDonald's restaurant in Milan, Illinois. When you're living somewhere that's experiencing an outbreak related to a restaurant, especially when you may have eaten there, you start to believe that every sniffle you have is a prelude to the next case. Fortunately local and county health departments organize vaccination drives to help prevent illnesses. This system seems to be working well.

In this outbreak, there have only been 32 cases of hepatitis A. It's possible more could develop, but already 5,300 people have been immunized with the hepatitis A vaccine (or maybe immune globulin) at clinics. Vaccination should help to minimize this outbreak.

When something like this happens, you may wonder: Could eating at restaurants expose you to hepatitis A? The answer is simple: no more than anywhere else. However, when a food handler is actively spreading the hepatitis A virus, the potential for infecting many people is greater. This is what we're seeing in Milan, Illinois.

There's no need to stop eating out, and certainly no need to suspect hepatitis A in every restaurant worker. However, there is a need for better hand washing education. All food handlers (and everyone else!) should wash their hands well, especially after using the bathroom. By making this simple activity a habit when you're healthy, it's second-nature when you're sick. Of course, with hepatitis A, you don't need to depend on other people washing their hands. Take your health into your own hands: get the hepatitis A vaccination. It's the single best way to protect yourself from infection.