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Global Liver Institute Releases Comprehensive U.S. NASH Action Plan

by | Dec 18, 2020 | Web Releases

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(Washington, D.C., December 18, 2020) – Today, Global Liver Institute (GLI) and the GLI NASH Council released the U.S. NASH Action Plan to comprehensively address nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the advanced form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and its impact on patients and families, public health, and the economy. It is estimated that up to 40 million people in the U.S.,(1) including 10% of American children,(2)(3)(4) are living with NASH, which can progress into cirrhosis or liver cancer, among a number of conditions, and potentially require a liver transplant. GLI’s new plan includes a set of actionable recommendations for the full spectrum of groups involved in NASH prevention and treatment, including: patients and caregivers, clinicians, patient advocacy organizations, medical societies, industry, policymakers, regulators, health systems, and health insurance payers.

“2021 is a crucial time for the liver community to take coordinated action and advance a comprehensive, integrated national approach to addressing the challenges posed by the epidemic of NASH, which will include, we hope, finally achieving a treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration,” stated Donna R. Cryer, JD, president and CEO of GLI. “Through a commitment by all stakeholders to work together in a strategic way, we can prevent the unnecessary loss of lives to NASH and the most closely associated diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.”

As a patient-driven advocacy organization, GLI amplifies the patient voice in the design of multi-stakeholder platforms, programs, and materials to set and advance goals related to NASH prevention and treatment. Recommendations from the U.S. NASH Action Plan for GLI NASH Council members and the larger health community include:

    • Education increasingly tailored for at-risk patient populations, in-language and in-culture.
    • Updated guidelines for standards of care and coordinated care pathways.
    • Adoption and reimbursement of non-invasive diagnostics.
    • Payor and health system research on patient-centric value-based care and benefit design.
    • Integration of NASH into public health, regulatory, and legislative priorities.

          Fatty liver disease is a concern for children and adults; men and women; and all racial and ethnic populations, especially Hispanics.(5)(6)(7) For children, NASH can be even more concerning as it can lead to serious consistent health consequences in adulthood.(8) NASH, moreover, is connected to a wide range of other diseases, such as diabetes and obesity; any future prevention effort that improves liver status overall will almost certainly have secondary impacts of value beyond liver health.

          GLI works to improve the lives of individuals and families impacted by liver disease through promoting innovation, encouraging collaboration, and supporting the scaling of optimal approaches to help eradicate liver diseases, including NASH. Organizations working to advance liver health may apply to join the GLI NASH Council, a collaborative group with representatives from non-profit, for-profit, and government. Patients with liver disease can hone their advocacy skills and become more active in GLI’s work through the GLI Advanced Advocacy Academy.

          About Global Liver Institute

          Global Liver Institute (GLI) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt not-for-profit organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, with offices in the U.S. and Europe. GLI’s vision is for liver health to take its place on the global public health agenda commensurate with its prevalence and impact. GLI’s mission is to improve the lives of individuals and families impacted by liver disease through promoting innovation, encouraging collaboration, and supporting the scaling of optimal approaches to help eradicate liver diseases. Follow GLI on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

          Sources

          (1) Spengler EK, Loomba R. Recommendations for diagnosis, referral for liver biopsy, and treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2015;90(9):1233–1246.

          (2) J Pediatr. 2013;162(3):496–500.e1 Welsh JA, Karpen S, Vos MB. Increasing prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease among United States adolescents, 1988-1994 to 2007-2010.

          (3) Pediatrics. 2006;118(4): 1388–1393 Schwimmer JB, Deutsch R, Kahen T, Lavine JE, Stanley C, Behling C. Prevalence of fatty liver in children and Adolescents.

          (4) J Pediatr. 2018;200:174–180 Fernandes DM, Pantangi V, Azam M, et al. Pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in New York City: an autopsy study.

          (5) Betancourt-Garcia M.M., Arguelles A., Montes J., Hernandez A., Singh M., Forse R.A. Pediatric Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: The Rise of a Lethal Disease among Mexican American Hispanic Children. Obes. Surg. 2017:1–9. doi: 10.1007/s11695-016-2440-5.

          (6) Pan JJ, Fallon MB. Gender and racial differences in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. World J Hepatol. 2014;6(5):274-283. doi:10.4254/wjh.v6.i5.274

          (7) PEDIATRICS Volume 146, number 6, December 2020:e20200771 Incidence of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Children: 2009–2018.

          (8) Xanthakos SA, Kohli R. Pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: Prevalence, diagnosis, risk factors, and management. Clin Liver Dis (Hoboken). 2012 Sep 25;1(4):125-128. doi: 10.1002/cld.75. PMID: 31186868; PMCID: PMC6499281.