Steatohepatitis/Metabolic Liver Disease News

Overall survival rates were not significantly different between patients with alcoholic hepatitis who received standard care and those who received extracorporeal cellular therapy with standard care, according to recently published data. However, younger patients with lower MELD may benefit from the treatment.

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.

Researchers developed new and comprehensive reliability criteria for virtual touch quantification to assess liver fibrosis based on the interquartile range/median ratio and the shear wave speed measurement result, according to recently published data.

Compared with placebo, treatment with emricasan for 3 months reduced MELD scores, international normalized ratio and total bilirubin in patients with cirrhosis and MELD score 15 or higher, according to a recently published study.

Modest alcohol consumption correlated with lower fibrosis among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, according to a recently published study.

Reduced levels of plasmalogens synthesized in the liver may adversely affect central nervous system synaptic and antioxidant functions, potentially contributing to cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, according to study results released at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2018.

Obesity and weight gain correlated with an increased risk for fibrosis progression based on aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio in a large cohort study of adults with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

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.

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.