Awareness of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is low among Americans who have risks associated with the diseases, according to a survey presented at the NASH Summit in Boston. Many clinical trials are currently underway regarding pharmacologic interventions in an area where diet and lifestyle are failing to curb rising incidence
The Liver Frailty Index can give physicians better data about the mortality risk of cirrhosis patients than just subjective data, according to a study led by Dr. Jennifer Lai of the University of California at San Francisco. In the study, published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 529 patients were tested on grip strength, balance
Trials are underway to evaluate an affordable hepatitis C treatment. So far, the therapy has been shown to be safe and effective, with very high cure rates for patients including hard-to-treat cases. The interim clinical trial results offers hope to the 71 million people living with the disease worldwide. The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), a
MedPage Today reports two interesting pieces of reporting simultaneously this week. First, Public Citizen published a report showing from 1991 through 2017, a total of 412 legal settlements were reached between the federal and state governments and pharmaceutical manufacturers. The fines, settlements, and fees comprised a whopping total of $38.6 billion. For 2016 and 2017, 38 settlements
A number of promising drugs in the pipeline can lower hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA and antigen levels. Some may offer a functional cure for selected individuals, but agents that offer a reliable cure for most patients are not yet on the horizon. This would be expected to substantially reduce the likelihood of liver disease progression
A study in JAMA Neurology linked fatty liver disease to an accelerated risk of atrophic brain disease compared to normal aging. Researchers said NAFLD did not appear to be linked to indications of other brain injuries or stroke. The reduced brain volume linked to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is equivalent to an extra 4.2
Finnish researchers found that individuals with diabetes or a high waist circumference who consumed higher average amounts of alcohol were at an increased risk of developing liver disease. The findings in the journal Hepatology, based on an analysis of the Finnish Health 2000 study data involving 6,732 individuals without liver disease, revealed that the
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has developed models of care that can be used to reduce the overall burden of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. More than 92,000 veterans with HCV have been treated by the VA since January 2014. Their cure rates have exceeded 90 percent. Expansion of treatment capacity through
Researchers at the University of California, Davis found that chronic liver inflammation is associated with a Western diet via the type of bacteria present in the gut. “We know the transition from steatosis, or fatty liver, to steatohepatitis (inflammation in the fatty liver) plays a crucial role in liver injury and carcinogenesis,” Yu-Jui Yvonne Wan, professor
Researchers link risk of gestational diabetes and glucose intolerances to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
A Canadian study in The American Journal of Gastroenterology showed that women with ultrasound evidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) during their early pregnancy were more likely to develop gestational diabetes and dysglycemia in the second trimester of their pregnancy than those without NAFLD. The findings were based on 476 healthy women who underwent
