Hepatic disease in injection drug users.

A wide variety of infectious diseases affect injection drug users. One of the most common is viral hepatitis. In the United States, hepatitis B affects 1.5 million people, and hepatitis C affects more than 4 million people, many of whom are past or current users of injected drugs. Although the treatment for chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C has improved, protocols specifically designed for injection drug users, especially given their lifestyle and reportedly low compliance rates, are seriously lacking. These disorders can lead to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and the need for liver transplantation in a sizeable proportion of cases. Therefore, early intervention should be a top priority.