 
June 20, 2011
Smart + Strong Announces the Launch of HEPMAG.com
A comprehensive portal for people living with hepatitis and their care providers
Smart
+ Strong, the publisher of award-winning community-focused health magazines and
websites, announced today the launch of its newest online portal: HEPMAG.com. The website, created in response
to the growing need for educational and interactive services for people living
with viral hepatitis, provides an array of services, including comprehensive
lessons, news, conference coverage and community forums.
“At
Smart + Strong, we know that when you are armed with expert, unbiased health
care information, when you are empowered and inspired to advocate for your
needs, and when you can connect to others dealing with viral hepatitis, you are
more likely to survive and thrive,” says Tim Horn, editor-in-chief of
Hepmag.com.
Viral
hepatitis is a silent epidemic in the United States. It is estimated that 3.5
to 5.3 million Americans are living with viral hepatitis; millions more are at
risk. Because viral hepatitis can persist for decades without symptoms, 65 to
75 percent of infected Americans are unaware of their status, are not receiving
care and treatment and may inadvertently be spreading the virus to others.
Hepmag.com
is being launched on the heels of a new strategic plan, released by the United
States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to increase viral
hepatitis awareness and to link people living with chronic hepatitis B virus
(HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with the care and support they need.
Published on May 12, 2011, the HHS’s “Combating
the Silent Epidemic of Viral Hepatitis: Action Plan for the Prevention, Care
and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis” aims to increase the proportion of people
who are aware of their HBV infection from 33 to 66 percent and increase the proportion
of people who are aware of their HCV infection from 45 to 66 percent.
In
addition, two new hepatitis drugs, Incivek (telaprevir) produced by Vertex
Pharmaceuticals and Victrelis (boceprevir) produced by Merck & Co., were
recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These two drugs
offer better curative options for HCV genotype 1, the most difficult to treat
form of the virus—and the form that affects 70 percent of people living with
the virus in the United States.
“Hepmag.com
was created to raise awareness of the importance of knowing one’s hepatitis
status to ensure optimal health for individuals and to address a large, and
growing, public health concern in the United States,” says Regan Hofmann,
editorial director of Smart + Strong. “Hepmag.com guides people with hepatitis
through their diagnosis, care and treatment and serves as a tool for health
care workers treating people with the condition.”
Smart + Strong is the parent company
of an award-winning stable of magazines and their related websites including: POZ and poz.com,
for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS; AIDSmeds.com, focused on HIV/AIDS care and
treatment; Real Health and realhealthmag.com, focused on African-American
health; Tu Salud and tusaludmag.com, focused on Latino health;
and Sane and sanemag.com for people seeking mental
wellness information.
Search: Hepatitis, Hep C, HCV, Hep B, HBV, Hep A, HAV
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