Kristin Hatcher spent three days in Washington, D.C., at the NORD Breakthrough Summit to discuss equitable access to innovation.

In this issue, we explore recent findings that highlight the need for dietary changes, including the link between ultra-processed foods and metabolic disorders in children with obesity, as well as the benefits of increasing plain water intake can reduce mortality risk.

When my doctor told me that I had fatty liver disease in 2015, the communication was that it was no big deal. In 2016, I was diagnosed with lupus then pancreatitis. Eventually, the pain, discomfort and fatigue from gallstones led me to an elective gallbladder surgery in 2017. During the surgery, my well-meaning surgeon found my liver to be nodular and decided to biopsy three separate spots while in the process of removing my gallbladder. What my surgeon did not know is how that biopsy would trigger a series of complications for my fragile liver.