EXCLUSIVE: ANGIE’s POOR HEALTH SPARKS HEPATITIS FEARS — EXPERTS

NationalEnquirer.com

An exhausted ANGELINA JOLIE is showing signs of deadly Hepatitis C and friends fear the WORST!

The “Tomb Raider” star, who’s shriv­eled to 95 pounds, recently suffered a terrifying collapse and is displaying classic symptoms of the mostly incur­able liver disease, say insiders.

Pals are frightened she picked up the killer virus with reckless behavior dur­ing her wild young days – including heroin abuse.

The virus can lurk in the body for years and then strike suddenly, medi­cal experts told The ENQUIRER. By the time symptoms emerge, the liver may be so ravaged patients must un­dergo emergency transplant surgery.

Angelina’s devas­tating health crisis has put her under such tremendous stress, it’s ruining her life.

She’s exhausted most of the time and making wedding plans has become difficult. Longtime partner Brad Pitt is desperate to keep her healthy, but Angie’s well-being is always hanging over their heads. Medical experts warn if she has the liver disease, it could destroy the health of the new baby she so desperately desires.

In September, the overworked, pencil-thin actress was rocked by poten­tial tell-tale signs of hepatitis while on a United Nations mission trip to the Middle East.

“Angelina told pals she was having severe headaches, dehydration and lighthead­edness,” revealed a friend. “She said she had no energy or appetite and felt like she had the worst-ever case of the flu.”

What Angelina experienced can be symptoms of hepatitis and that’s dangerous, say ex­perts.

“By the time symptoms show, a patient may already have end-stage liver disease or liver cancer. At that point, without a liver transplant, the body will shut down due to the accumulation of poisons,” said Dr. Raymond Koff, a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Connect­icut School of Medicine, and added that death soon follows.

All hell broke loose for Angelina during her recent trip to help Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq. The mother of six had been running herself ragged visiting refu­gee camps, in temperatures that often soared past 100 degrees.

“Angie didn’t feel well the entire trip,” disclosed her friend. “She had been working around the clock on her film ‘Maleficent’ and was stressed over plans for her upcoming wedding to Brad Pitt.

“Angie was so busy she forgot to eat and drink sufficient liquids. After day-long activities in Jor­dan, she collapsed as she was walking up a flight of stairs, faltering and losing her foot­ing.

“Had a security guard not been directly behind her, she would have tumbled down a flight of stairs and injured herself. Doctors on site took Angie’s vitals and made sure she drank lots of water and sat down for a full meal later that night.

“When Brad called and heard the news, he freaked out. He begged An­gie to cut short the trip and rest for a few days. But she wouldn’t.”

One of Brad’s biggest concerns is 5-foot-7 Angie’s recent weight loss.

“She’d been back up to over 100 pounds through most of the summer, but she dropped to 95 pounds by the first of September,” said the friend.

“Brad thinks Angelina’s health woes have been activated by undue stress, and her friends fear she’s hiding a ter­rible secret – that she’s suffering from hepatitis C.”

They are especially concerned be­cause the reckless beauty has engaged in some of the risky behavior associ­ated with getting the disease – which can be transmitted primarily through infected blood.

“A person can contract hepatitis C from sharing needles, IV drug use or having unprotected rough sex with someone already afflicted with the disease,” leading expert Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, author of the best-seller “From Fatigued to Fantastic,” told The ENQUIRER.

DR. Koff added that the ailment can also be transmitted by “any shared instrument that is infected and pierces the skin.” Angelina has numerous tattoos, and she’s admitted to cutting herself and abusing heroin, which is typically injected.

“My fear is that she could have picked up hepatitis C in the late ’90s when she was cutting herself and used an infected knife,” said an insider.

In a bombshell 1998 interview, the Academy Award winner made an as­tonishing admission: “I have done just about every drug possible, co­caine, ecstasy, LSD and my favorite, heroin.”

In 2007, disturbing reports ex­ploded to the surface that Angelina was battling a liver disease, and that the mystery illness was to blame for her frighteningly thin appearance.

To make her medical crisis even more worrisome, the overworked mom reportedly wants one more baby with Brad – bringing her total to seven children.

But Dr. Arthur Wisot, a Los An­geles gynecologist who has not treated the actress, warned that if Angelina has hepatitis C and the virus is active, “the stress of preg­nancy will make her condition worse and endanger her own life  as well as the baby’s.

“The rate of trans­mission to the child is determined by the level of the virus in her bloodstream – and there is no preventative treat­ment.”

In another horrifying scenario, if the mom suf­fers liver failure, “then the pregnancy would be terminated,” according to Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, professor of gynecology at Yale School of Medicine.

About four million Americans suffer from hepatitis C – the lead­ing cause of liver transplants.

With Angelina’s health concerns and worries about everything from pregnancy to her duties with the U.N., “she hasn’t had a moment to think about her upcoming wedding to Brad, not a second for thoughts about invitations or words for the vows,” said the friend.

“Brad has done a good deal of the planning and is resolved to keep her healthy. Angie’s under too much stress right now and it’s ruining her life.”