Cirrhosis/Liver Failure News

The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Foundation announced its investment of $4.06 million in research and career development grants awarded to 36 researchers and clinicians, according to a press release.

Studies that focus on specific patient characteristics and demographics often reveal key strategies to improve health care at the individual patient level. Liver disease research focused on women and mothers has shown that women face fertility risks with hepatitis C and higher risks for liver injury or failure with chronic liver disease.

The international market price of generic tenofovir, prequalified by WHO for hepatitis B virus infection, declined more than 85% from 2004 to 2016, according to recent MMWR data. Still, only one in six patients diagnosed with HBV infection worldwide received treatment in 2016.

Results of a study on liver histology features in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis revealed that magnetic resonance imaging-estimated proton density fat fraction was suboptimal in identifying patients with advanced NASH or fibrosis.

Preconception albumin-bilirubin score and aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index accurately predicted pregnancy outcomes in women with chronic liver disease, according to recently published data.

Cirrhosis-related mortality increased in the U.S. since 2009 with rates varying by age, ethnicity and region, according to a recently published report.

Coil-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration was safe and effective in treating patients with refractory overt hepatic encephalopathy caused by spontaneous portosystemic shunts, according to recently published data.

Medication nonadherence among patients with hepatitis B increased the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma, cirrhotic complications and all-cause mortality, according to recently published data.

Researchers were able to establish an etiologic diagnosis among nearly 50% of patients with previously indeterminate etiology of acute liver failure using a systematic analysis strategy that included diagnostic algorithms and expert opinion.

Liver disease-related mortality rates varied significantly by geographic region in the Untied States with some of the highest rates in the South and the West, in areas with higher Hispanic populations, and areas of lower household income, according to a recently published study.