What is the average lifespan of someone with Hepatitis C?

Particularly if they have had it since birth.

well, that all depends....mainly your diet and lifestyle.
you can live a long life with hcv..however, the quality of life is not as good.....

no red meat
no iron
no drugs
no alcohol
no/little sodium
no/little sugar (artificial sugars are the worst!)
refrain from those claiming cure alls-they can kill you or damage what health you've still got.
Taking milk thistle will knock out some elevation in ALT and AST levels-these if elevated can indicate liver damage

it also has to do with other issues relative to hcv as well. some have fatty liver, others have diabetes as well as other organ damage, even depression or other mental diseases are caused by hcv.....these are "bi-directional" diseases of having hcv.

i have had hcv since the age of 8 (if not longer as i had three surgeries back in the days when sterlization wasn't always done properly-1967/68 and 73).

i had many issues by the time i was 13, by 25 i could sleep all day and most of the night. i had skin disorders, depression, hair loss, bone and joint pain, gallstones...the list is endless.

by the time they found out what was wrong with me (after testing for all sorts of diseases) my liver was grade and stage 2.1. this is minus many times i could of taken tylenol, drank a beer ect.....
however, i had always been what was considered a "light weight". doctors thought my metabolism was messed up...well, it was! i had hcv, liver damage caused issues with caffiene buildup (panic attacks from it) as well as other issues.

so, you can allow hcv to live within with or without major issues, however, i wouldn't give it a chance! i would ask what your options are as far as treatment.....

as for living longer than the average? many have already...many find out when they are 80 they have hcv and can trace it back to being in the service or given blood or had done something stupid like sharing a drug needle or getting a tatoo.

not to worry, but worry enough and ask about treatment if you haven't already asked .... Source(s): hugs
riss-hepatitis c objectives

I don't know but my brother in-law has it and the doctors told him he would die 5 years ago. He is still going strong. He also has cirrhosis of the liver due to the Hepatitis C.