Liver/Biliary Disorders News

Up to 13% of patients with dementia have lab values that suggest undiagnosed cirrhosis and possible hepatic encephalopathy, an “easily treatable” cause of cognitive impairment, according to a study in The American Journal of Medicine.

The FDA has updated the label indication for Livmarli for the treatment of cholestatic pruritus in patients with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis, expanding the patient population to include infants aged 12 months and older.

Remaining current on screening for hepatocellular carcinoma correlated with a “survival benefit” in older adults with hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis who achieved viral cure but later developed HCC, according to researchers.

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome and high androgen levels may have a higher risk for liver disease than those with PCOS and normal androgen levels, according to an analysis of UK Biobank data.

In a dose-dependent manner, fazirsiran reduced serum and liver concentrations of Z-AAT and also improved histological measures in patients with homozygous ZZ alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency-associated liver disease, according to data.

Substitution of just one meat-based meal with a vegetarian or vegan alternative reduced serum ammonia levels for up to 3 hours and improved metabolites in patients with cirrhosis who follow a Western meat-based diet, researchers reported.

In a Healio video exclusive, Edward V. Loftus Jr., MD, noted that, despite the boom in glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists for diabetes and weight loss, its role in the treatment of liver disease is still up for debate.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease affects more than one-third of the world’s population and is associated with significant clinical and economic burden, as well as impairment of health-related quality of life.

To put it simply, diabetes and steatotic liver disease are joined at the hip. They are part of the same biological process that involves multiple organs, connected by the concept of metabolic flexibility — or lack thereof.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis is significantly more common in patients with type 2 diabetes, and most patients with MASH — formerly known as NASH — experience metabolic abnormalities, including obesity.