Cole resting after hospital stay

Cole documented her drug use in her 2000 autobiography

Grammy-winning singer Natalie Cole is resting at her home in Los Angeles, following a spell in hospital.

The 58-year-old sought medical help in New York after suffering health problems stemming from the hepatitis C virus, her spokeswoman said.

The daughter of crooner Nat King Cole cancelled her October tour dates and other appearances after spending about a week in the hospital in September.

The singer was diagnosed in July after a routine examination.

Drug users

Hepatitis C is a virus spread through contact with infected blood which can cause fatal liver problems and can remain undetected for years.

A statement released by her publicist in July said it was likely the singer caught the virus through past drug use.

Cole was addicted to LSD, cocaine and heroin before a long stay in rehab in 1984, which she documented her autobiography.

The singer's latest album, Still Unforgettable, the follow-up to 1991's Grammy-winning Unforgettable...With Love, was released last month.

The majority of hepatitis C sufferers are drug users sharing injecting equipment, but it can also be transmitted through shared razors, body and ear piercing.