Steatohepatitis/Metabolic Liver Disease News

Results of an international systematic review showed that patients and their families had a poor understanding about advanced liver disease, felt they needed more information about treatments and how to get practical and psychological support, and were unaware of the potential for palliative care.

Despite a lack of conventional cardiometabolic risk factors, children with so-called metabolically healthy obesity have a higher prevalence of hepatic steatosis and left ventricular hypertrophy, according to findings published in Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases.

Viking Therapeutics announced positive top-line results from a 12-week phase 2 study of VK2809, a liver-selective thyroid receptor beta agonist for the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, according to a press release.

A recently developed liquid biopsy cell-sorting device was able to detect circulating epithelial cells of hepatocyte origin in blood from healthy individuals, patients with chronic liver disease without hepatocellular cancer, and those with HCC, according to a recently published study.

Bird Rock Bio completed its final patient visit in a phase 1b ascending dose trial of nimacimab for treating patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and diabetes or pre-diabetes, according to a press release.

In this guest commentary from the Liver Health Initiative, Thelma King Thiel, RN, BA, former CEO of both the American Liver Foundation and the Hepatitis Foundation International, gives insight into speaking with pediatric patients and parents about liver health. After losing her son to biliary atresia, Thiel focused on training health care providers about liver health. She recently founded the Liver Health Initiative to continue to fill the knowledge gap that exists about liver health.

Physicians and researchers have noted the increase in liver disease over the last couple decades, especially nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, correlates significantly with the increase in obesity and overweight. As there are currently no curative options for NAFLD and its progressive form, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, lifestyle interventions including diet and exercise are key to remission.

Adverse events occurred more often among patients with cirrhosis than noncirrhotic cases after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and correlated with a higher incidence of acute chronic liver failure, according to a recently published study.

Kinetix announced a partnership with Rimidi added to the ongoing collaboration with the NASH Network, or NASHNET, to improve nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis care delivery, according to a press release.

The risk for hepatocellular carcinoma was higher among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, especially those with cirrhosis, compared with the general clinical population, according to a study published in Gastroenterology.