Liver/Biliary Disorders News

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.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease is a public health threat, affecting 30% to 38% of the adult population globally. The prevalence has risen in parallel with epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Millions of dollars have been spent trying to find medications that could treat this complex disorder. The focus has been on drugs for more severe disease, as it leads to complications, and early stages have been somewhat ignored.

Although use of glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists for diabetes and weight loss has soared with indications now expanding into liver diseases, specifically metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, the jury is still out on its benefit.

A continuous risk score accurately predicted waitlist dropout and post-liver transplantation outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, even over the course of several UNOS policy changes, researchers reported.

In a new clinical practice guideline, the ACG has provided evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and management of the most common focal liver lesions among individuals without known liver disease.

Maralixibat improved cholestatic pruritis and reduced serum bile acids in pediatric patients with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis, regardless of disease genotype, according to data from the MARCH-PFIC trial.

The new United Network for Organ Sharing liver allocation policy has resulted in a significant increase in the number and cost of liver imports, with greater costs incurred by low-income states and underserved areas, according to analysis.

The FDA granted marketing authorization for Cepheid’s Xpert HCV test and GeneXpert Xpress System, the first rapid test for hepatitis C virus intended for use in point-of-care settings.

Researchers have developed a data-driven, systematic approach for classification of the most potentially hepatotoxic medications based on incidence rates of severe acute liver injury, rather than published case report counts.