Background HCV-related chronic hepatitis represents the most common cause of chronic liver disease in Italy, with an estimated prevalence of 1-1.1% in the general population, reaching about 15% in subjects over 50 years of age. Chronic HCV infection is the cause of 27% of cases of cirrhosis and 25% of cases of hepatocarcinoma. Persons with chronic hepatitis C present a prevalence of depressive disorders higher than that of the general population (59% vs. 21%). Moreover, there has been repeatedly demonstrated the presence of cognitive deficits, mainly concerning attentive, executive, and verbal comprehension, also in the absence of liver cirrhosis and comorbidities due to the use of substances, and a reduced quality of life. Chronic hepatitis C therapy was based on the combined use of pegylated alpha interferons (PEG-INF) and ribavirin, with SVR (sustained virological response, defined as HCV-RNA undetectable in serum at six months after the end of therapy), normalization of transaminases and improvement of liver histology, altogether in 60% of cases. Recently, new antiviral drugs with direct activity (e.g. antiprotease and antipolymer activity) have been introduced into hepatitis C therapeutic protocols, with the development of PEG-INF-free therapeutic schemes. Unfortunately, because of the excessive cost, in many Countries, including Italy, the access to PEG-INF-free schemas is only for patients with advanced fibrous stages, or who have concomitant extra-hepatic viral diseases HCV-related, or those already transplanted, while others are still expected to be treated with PEG-INF and ribavirin.