Hepatitis C is, strictly speaking, an inflammation of the liver. More specifically, it is an inflammation of the liver caused by the Hepatitis C virus, one of the five different variants of the Hepatitis virus. Today there are a number of Hep C Trials Orlando at Avail Clinical Research that can help you.

Hep C is transmitted through blood-to-blood contact. One transmission channel is intravenous drug use (shared needles), while others include improperly sterilized medical and tattoo instruments, and accidental “needle sticks” sustained while administering emergency first aid. Transmission through sexual intercourse is now thought to be very, very rare.

Hepatitis C can be asymptomatic in the early stages of infection, which, unfortunately, is the optimal time to effect a cure. If detected and treated in its acute phase (within six months of infection), the cure rate is around 90 percent. Chronic Hep C typically progressively damages the liver, from fibrosis through cirrhosis, and sometimes culminating in liver failure.

Hep C is currently treated with a combination of Pegylated interferon-alpha-2a or Pegylated interferon-alpha-2b and ribavirin for at least six months. Treatment is very rigorous due to adverse drug reactions, which can range from flu-like symptoms to heart problems. The length of the treatment takes a psychological toll and it is often recommended that patients under treatment seek counseling. Unsurprisingly, many patients abandon Hep C treatment before its suggested conclusion.

Hep C is a very serious disease, and the medical community expects the number of Hep C cases identified to rise substantially in the very near future. But you can help. If you happen to suffer from Hepatitis C and live in Florida and are interested in participating in one of our new Hep C treatment trials, please give us a call at 386.310.1334, or find more information by typing “Hep C Trials Orlando” into your search engine.

Living with a chronic disease like Hepatitis C can lead to periodic bouts of depression. The strain it puts on your daily regimen is not only physical but psychological. Drug treatments last close to a year, and the physical side effects are considerable. In fact, a large percentage of patients on a treatment program never finish due to its arduous nature.

Some research suggests that twenty to forty percent of patients under treatment for Hep C suffer chemically-induced depression (from the antivirals used to eliminate the disease). Add to that number those who become clinically depressed as a result of living with the disease, and you can see what a danger depression can be to Hep C sufferers.

If you have Hep C and are about to embark on drug treatment (typically the antivirals peginterferon-alfa and ribavirin), it’s important to discuss with your healthcare professional the possibility of clinical depression. He or she may suggest counseling or anti-depressants (or both) in the early stages as a preventative measure. If you already suffer from depression, it’s unwise to pursue drug treatment until your depression is controlled.

We are conducting ongoing Hep C studies in our Florida facilities on new drug treatments that we hope pose a smaller risk for depression, If you would like to learn more, please call us or type “Hep C studies Orlando” into your search engine.

It is estimated that between 10,000 and 20,000 Americans will die this year from Hepatitis C. Worldwide, this infectious liver disease impacts the lives of 200 million people. Despite the organized efforts of the healthcare community, the cure rate for Hepatitis C is still only fifty percent.

Certainly, the fight against Hep C has taken a turn for the better in recent years. The foremost reason is that diagnosing for the disease has become quicker, easier, and surer. A new blood test cuts down the identification of Hepatitis C to a mere twenty minutes where before it took several hours. Indeed, it’s believed that a simple mouth swab test is on the horizon.

Complicating Hep C research is the fact that only humans and chimpanzees can be infected with the disease (though there has been headway in finding ways to infect other test animals, such as mice). New Hep C drugs and treatments can take longer to reach the clinical trial stage for this very reason. Researchers are in need of a steady stream of human volunteers to develop these exciting new therapies.

That’s where you can help. If you happen to suffer from Hepatitis C and live in Florida and are interested in participating in one of our Hep C studies, please give us a call, or find more information by typing “Hep C Trials Orlando” into your search engine.

Hepatitis C is a virus. Like the flu it can be spread from person to person, so learning what to do and what not to do can help prevent further infections. But, learning what type of treatments are available is also important. If your hep C treatments are not working you might consider a hepatitis C clinical trial.

You might already know that hep C is not treated unless it becomes chronic. The body can rid the virus after a few months, but most cases will not be cured this way. When that happens, it is considered chronic. In this instance, the virus is most often treated with the drug combination peginterferon and ribavarin, which were developed to attack the hepatitis C virus. Peginterferon is an injection taken weekly, while ribavarin is taken orally on a daily basis. The treatments can last 24-48 weeks. In some cases if the virus causes liver failure, a transplant may be necessary. If this happens, treatments must continue because the virus usually comes back after surgery.

Here are some tips on how to not spread the virus. You can protect others from hepatitis C if you:
* do not share drug needles
* wear gloves if you have to touch another person’s blood
* use a condom during sex
* do not borrow another person’s toothbrush, razor, or anything else that could have blood on it
* make sure any tattoos or body piercings you get are done with sterile tools
* do not donate blood or blood products if you have hepatitis C

Hepatitis C treatments are one of the research studies we’ve been working on here in DeLand, Florida. Some of our investigational treatments have shown promising results, but we need to do additional research studies to test investigational methods that may help us understand your condition. Contact us here if you would like more information.

If you’ve been diagnosed with hepatitis C you’ll need to learn as much as you can about this liver disease/virus, and this is because you’ll want to seek treatments that work for you. Taking part in a hepatitis c clinical trial is also an option, but first things first.

What is Hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C is a liver disease. The word ‘hepatitis’ means inflammation of the liver and it is painful, with red swelling resulting when tissues of the body become injured or infected. This type of inflammation can create problems with other body organs, keeping them from working properly. The liver is important to the body, as it removes harmful chemicals from blood, fights infections, helps in the digestion process, stores nutrients and vitamins, and it also stores energy. You can’t live without the liver organ.

When is Treatment for Hepatitis C Needed?

Hepatitis C is not treated unless it becomes chronic. Chronic hepatitis C happens when the body can’t get rid of the virus. Some people clear the hep C virus from their bodies in a few months, but most become chronic. Without treatment, the liver can become scarred, which is called cirrhosis. Liver cancer and liver failure are also possible.

When can I do a Hep C Clinical Trial?

Hepatitis C treatments are one of the research studies we’ve been working on here in DeLand, Florida. Some of our investigational treatments have shown promising results, but we need to do additional research studies to test investigational methods that may help us understand your condition. Contact us here if you would like more information.

DeLand, Florida— February 18, 2010 — Avail Clinical Research, a privately owned research facility, founded in 1998 in DeLand, Florida, announces the launch of several hepatitis C clinical trials to test investigational treatment options for those already diagnosed with hepatitis C. “We are very pleased to begin the systemic evaluation of our research studies to help find a viable investigational treatment solution to those suffering from hepatitis C,” said Bruce G. Rankin, DO, CPI., the Vice Chief of Medicine at Florida Hospital DeLand. “We believe that these research studies will build significantly on the data generated by other studies conducted on investigational treatment options for hepatitis C.” Dr. Rankin has been conducting research with Avail Clinical Research since 1999 and is currently the Medical Director.

The research studies will enroll those already diagnosed with hepatitis C, which includes symptoms like fatigue, fever, nausea or poor appetite, muscle and joint pains, tenderness in the area of your liver. In order to participate in the studies volunteers must be diagnosed with hepatitis C. Avail Clinical Research will not take volunteers who:

• have any evidence or treatment of malignancy within the previous 5 years,
• have a history of alcohol or substance abuse within the previous 5 years,
• have used an investigatory drug or participated in an investigatory study within 30 days of the screening,
• are pregnant, or
• are breast-feeding.

Avail Clinical Research will provide participants with study related care, including physical examinations, laboratory services and study medications. Participants will also be compensated for time and travel. For more information regarding participation in our clinical trials, contact Avail Clinical Research at 386.310.1334, or at www.AvailClinical.com.