Cirrhosis/Liver Failure News

Researchers reported low rifaximin treatment retention among patients with hepatic encephalopathy, with 30-day out-of-pocket treatment costs in excess of $150 among the factors associated with poor adherence.

After nearly a decade of health problems, Steve Harwell, former lead singer and frontman for the band Smash Mouth, died Sept. 4 at age 56, which the band’s manager, Robert Hayes, said was caused by acute liver failure.

Novo Nordisk has awarded a $9.57 million grant supporting a clinical trial at the University of California San Diego NAFLD Research Center to evaluate the use of semaglutide in patients with fibrosis due to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Higher intake of total and dairy protein and lower animal protein consumption correlated with a reduced risk for mortality among patients with cirrhosis, according to data published in BMC Gastroenterology.

Disparities in receipt of liver transplantation and mortality persisted over time among hospitalized Black and Hispanic patients with decompensated cirrhosis compared with their white counterparts, according to data in JAMA Network Open.

Among patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in the United States, 20% progressed to cirrhosis within 4 years, with female sex and nonsmoking status linked to lower risk for progression, according to data from the TARGET-NASH trial.

Simvastatin plus rifaximin did not reduce progression to acute-on-chronic liver failure, complications from cirrhosis or risk for death in patients with decompensated cirrhosis, according to data presented at EASL Congress.

Nearly 75% of patients with end-stage liver disease in safety-net hospitals were not referred for liver transplant evaluation, mostly due to active alcohol use or insurance issues, according to data published in JAMA Network Open.

In a Healio video exclusive, Andreas Kremer, MD, PhD, MHBA, highlights recent data on primary biliary cholangitis presented at EASL Congress, including risk factors for disease progression and seladelpar for treatment of pruritus.

Xarelto improved portal hypertension complication-free survival in patients with cirrhosis and moderate liver dysfunction without an increase in major bleeding events, according to data presented at the EASL Congress.