Liver/Biliary Disorders News

Chronic liver disease is the ninth leading cause of death in the United States, independent of liver cancer. According to the CDC, only 1.8% of adult Americans have a diagnosis of chronic liver disease, which translates to 4.5 million people.

The role of gastroenterologists and hepatologists in the management of patients at risk for or with hepatocellular carcinoma is multifold.

Finding adequate providers with the expertise to treat the growing population of patients with chronic liver diseases, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, is a challenging but important endeavor.

Alcohol use disorder has a huge impact on liver health. Regardless of whether patients have other primary etiology for liver disease, alcohol — even in minimal amounts — can worsen liver outcomes.

Primary care providers and other specialists often refer patients to gastroenterologists with any liver-related health concerns, as they are the first touch point for newly diagnosed patients or those living with chronic liver disease.

In 2020, a model in Hepatology projected an impending “critical shortage” of adult and pediatric hepatology providers in the U.S., posing a potential challenge as an increasing number of individuals are expected to present for care.

Adherence to treatment with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists may lower the long-term risk for major adverse liver outcomes among patients with chronic liver disease and type 2 diabetes, according to data in Gut.

The FDA has granted 510(k) clearance to Nanox’s HealthFLD artificial intelligence software to aid clinicians in the detection of fatty liver associated with hepatic steatosis, according to a company press release.

The FDA has granted fast track designation to GSK’s bepirovirsen, a triple action investigational antisense oligonucleotide, for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus infection, according to a manufacturer release.

Physicians treating older veterans with dementia “should consider underlying cirrhosis” and use Fibrosis-4 as a screening tool to uncover reversible factors, such as hepatic encephalopathy, that may be associated with cognitive decline.