One out of every 10 executives of medium-sized and large companies is infected with hepatitis B but has not sought treatment, leaving them vulnerable to serious liver disease, the results of a survey published yesterday showed.
The poll, sponsored by the Advancing Clinical Treatment of Hepatitis B Virus Association (ACT-HBV), targeted executives of companies with more than 200 employees and found that 16 percent are hepatitis B carriers.
Of the carriers, 72 percent are not being treated for the condition, meaning that one out of 10 executives is at high risk of developing cirrhosis or other serious liver disease. A particularly high concentration of the vulnerable executives work in the high-tech industry.
Chien Rong-nan (簡榮南), head of hepato-gastroenterology at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital’s Keelung Branch, said 24 percent of executives work under high pressure — averaging 11.5 hours of work per day and just 6.3 hours of sleep.
The survey’s results showed that while 20 percent said they were too busy to get medical treatment, another 20 percent of the hepatitis B carriers said they had taken Chinese herbal medicine or over-the-counter drugs to “protect” their livers.
Many people with hepatitis B do not notice symptoms until they become severe, said Chien, who is also chairman of the Taiwan ACT- HBV association.
To encourage companies to take care of their employees’ health, the association has launched a health check subsidization program.
Any employees under the program found to be infected with hepatitis B and to be at high risk for liver problems can receive follow-up testing free of charge. The test usually costs between NT$2,000 and NT$3,000.
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