With the NASH horizon full of new developments, it is important to maintain focus on high-quality, affordable, and equitable care for patients with NAFLD and NASH. In every stage of development, whether in research, nomenclature, clinical trials, or other areas, we must remember that each step should strengthen and accelerate progress. Learn about the latest in the field below:
To Focus Solely on NAFLD Nomenclature, Not Patient Care, is ‘Ultimately Detrimental’
The discussion of NAFLD nomenclature diverts attention from what patients really care about. According to GLI’s CEO Donna R. Cryer, “The term fatty liver disease or NAFLD is not enough to warrant all the changes in resources that would take away from finding treatment or giving people care.” NAFLD or NASH patients are most concerned with being identified correctly. Moreover, patients are interested in a treatment approval and want to be taken care of in a meaningful, engaging way, with active monitoring and access to available tools. Read more here.
NAFLD and NASH Clinical Guidelines: What Do They All Mean?
In an effort to manage the increasing prevalence of NAFLD and NASH, the AGA, AACE and AASLD developed evidence-based clinical practice guidelines that highlight recommendations for screening, diagnosis and management of NAFLD and NASH. To help patients better understand the recommendations, Global Liver Institute created a patient-friendly overview table of key takeaways from each of the guidelines and guidances. Read it here.
Fatty Liver Alliance Raises Awareness of NAFLD and NASH in Canada
The Fatty Liver Alliance, a member of the Global Liver Institute Liver Action Network, warns Canadians about the increasing prevalence of NAFLD and NASH and encourages them to speak with their doctors about their risks of advanced liver disease. It is currently estimated that 33% of Candians are affected and unaware. “We encourage all Canadians to take action and discuss their risks of advanced liver disease with their physician.” said Michael Betel, President of the Fatty Liver Alliance. Early detection and treatment of NAFLD and NASH can prevent or delay the development of advanced liver disease. Learn more here.
Mortality and Liver-Related Events in Lean Versus Non-Lean NAFLD: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Although fatty liver disease has gained prominence in recent years along with obesity, as many as 40% of people with NAFLD are not overweight or obese, but less is known about the clinical outcomes of lean people with the disease. In a study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, lean people with NAFLD had a greater risk of dying from liver-related causes than obese or overweight people, but other outcomes, such as cardiovascular mortality and liver cancer, remained the same. Read the study here.
The Inaugural Midwest Metabolic Clinical Symposium to be held on April 14-16 by Saint Louis University
The inaugural Midwest Metabolic Clinical Symposium will focus on current and emerging best practices for the management of obesity, diabetes, NAFLD, and cardiovascular disease. Often, these conditions are not captured or are underdiagnosed by physicians, and the aim is to raise awareness of these disorders as well as to identify those at high risk early on. Register to attend here.
To learn more about the NASH Council or become a member, please visit https://globalliver.org/nash-council/ or reach out to NASH@globalliver.org.
Join us for International NASH Day, a public education campaign launched in June 2018 to raise visibility and urgency around fatty liver disease and its more advanced form, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which affects more than 148 million people around the world.
