There are over 180 million people with chronic HCV infection worldwide with between 2.7 and 3.9 million in the United States. Hepatitis C most significantly affects Asia and Africa, with rates up to 15% in countries such as Egypt and up to 30% in certain regions such as Punjab, Pakistan. Hepatitis C places a significant burden on the public health infrastructure, as it remains the leading cause of chronic liver disease, accounting for 50-75% of primary liver cancers and is responsible for 30% of all liver transplantations. It is estimated to have cost the United States $5.5 billion in 1997, comparable to the national cost of asthma, $5.8 billion in 1994.This number is only expected to grow as the current HCV population ages, increasing overall rates of compensated cirrhosis/end-stage liver disease. The evolution of directly acting anti-virals has ushered in a new era for chronic hepatitis C. Ongoing drug development strategy has involved targeting several replication steps of the virus and the hope is to see all oral therapies by late 2014 or early 2015. Thus we are at an exciting cross roads with regard to new information and challenges with HCV: rising disease burden with associated high costs, the challenges globally and in multiple patient populations, and the impending availability of effective and well tolerated treatments. Therefore there is a need to commission an exclusive issue of GCNA for HCV.

Hepatitis B and C cause most cases of hepatitis in the United States and the world. The two diseases account for about a million deaths a year and 78 percent of world's hepatocellular carcinoma and more than half of all fatal cirrhosis. In 2013 viral hepatitis, of which hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are the most common types, surpassed HIV and AIDS to become the seventh leading cause of death worldwide. The world now has the tools to prevent hepatitis B and cure hepatitis C. Perfect vaccination could eradicate HBV, but it would take two generations at least. In the meantime, there is no cure for the millions of people already infected. Conversely, there is no vaccine for HCV, but new direct-acting antivirals can cure 95 percent of chronic infections, though these drugs are unlikely to reach all chronically-infected people anytime soon. This report, the first of two, examines the feasibility of hepatitis B and C elimination in the United States and identifies critical success factors. The phase two report will outline a strategy for meeting the elimination goals discussed in this report.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is a worldwide disease with a significant morbidity and mortality; it is the leading cause of non-ulcer dyspepsia, peptic ulcers and gastric tumors, including low-grade mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue-lymphoma and adenocarcinoma. In addition, it has also been recognized that the interaction between H. pylori and non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs is damaging to the gastroduodenal mucosa. H. pylori treatment still remains a challenge for physicians, since no current first-line therapy is able to cure the infection in all treated patients. This issue will serve to update gastroenterologists on current therapies, evaluation and management of disease progression, and the future of management of H. pylori infection.

This issue will be an informative treatise on gastroparesis, a symptomatic chronic disorder of the stomach characterized by delayed gastric emptying in the absence of mechanical obstruction. Gastroparesis is an increasingly recognized and diagnosed disorder. Treatment can be challenging due to several mechanisms which play a role in causing the symptoms. Symptoms of gastroparesis are variable and include early satiety, nausea, vomiting, bloating, and upper abdominal discomfort. These symptoms can range from mild to severe leading to such complications as malnutrition, functional disability, and multiple hospitalizations. The three most common etiologies are diabetes, post-surgical, and idiopathic (unknown). Treatment consists of dietary manipulation, medical, and surgical therapy. The articles will provide a comprehensive review and in-depth information on gastroparesis. Each chapter will be written by an expert in the area. This issue will give the reader a better appreciation for the breadth of gastroparesis.

This issue details the latest knowledge of early diagnosis, risk factors, limited surgical treatments, and novel therapies for pancreatic diseases. Clinicians will learn the most prognostic scoring systems for acute pancreatitis, review the basics for early management of the disease, and see how current practice guidelines have evolved. Advances in radiological imaging when applied to the pancreas have resulted in enhanced staging and improved selection for surgical intervention. Endoscopy of the pancreas via both ERCP and endoscopic ultrasound has led to unprecedented access and potential for non-operative intervention. Pancreatic surgery now takes advantage of both minimally invasive approaches and techniques learned from organ transplantation. These latest advances are addressed in this issue by key opinion leaders.

A thorough update is presented by the Guest Editors on the diagnosis, treatment, and management of Barrett’s Esophagus. Not only do they address the most pertinent clinical issues like screening, biomarkers, surveillance, therapeutics, and predictors of disease progression but they present state of the art material on therapeutic/treatment modalities like EMR, ESD, and ablative therapy. Further, articles are presented on epidemiology, molecular pathogensis, and cost-analysis studies so that the reader will come away with a comprehensive update on Barrett’s Esophagus.

In the last three decades, the prevalence of obesity has doubled with over 600 million obese adults worldwide. The gastrointestinal complications of obesity are well publicized; however, the role of the gastrointestinal tract in the development and treatment of obesity is often understated. From the pathophysiologic role of gut hormones and the microbiota, to the purposeful, anatomic derangement of the gastrointestinal tract that is utilized as a treatment for obesity, it is imperative that gastroenterologists understand the full scope of obesity in relation to the gastrointestinal system. Studies suggest that in the U.S. obesity is underrecognized and undertreated by health care providers. Given its complex sociology, pathophysiology, and treatment, obesity, like many other diseases, requires a multidisciplinary approach. Therefore, gastroenterologists must be equipped with the relevant knowledge of obesity that will empower them to properly manage their patients.