What follows, in turn, is a look at the principal owners of BB&T's (NYSE:BBT) outstanding common stock. A broad overview. As you can see in the following chart, the majority of BB&T's 700 million shares are held by institutional investors.
Approximately 25,000 Americans die each year from chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. More than 300,000 people are hospitalized each year due to cirrhosis. Approximately 5,000 liver transplants were performed in 2000. Because of the shortage of organs, it is estimated that nearly 1,700 prospective recipients died in 2001 while waiting for a liver for transplantation.
Cirrhosis is an advanced form of liver disease that has many causes, not just hepatitis C (HCV). Alcoholism, hepatitis B, fatty liver disease and other conditions can cause cirrhosis. It is usually irreversible, and in advanced stages, the only treatment is liver transplant. In the US, HCV infection is the most common cause of chronic liver disease, and the most common reason for liver transplantation.