HEALTH AND WELLNESS
A Less Painful Approach: New Non-invasive Test to Predict Progression of Liver Disease
Article by Dr. Zobair Younossi
(BPT) - Each year, 9 to 15 million Americans may unknowingly be affected by a silent, sometimes deadly attack on their liver. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH, a serious form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is the underlying cause of these attacks. An estimated 80-90 million Americans currently have diagnosed or undiagnosed NAFLD. Despite the grim statistics, the good news is there is a new test that makes it easier to identify patients at risk of disease progression to severe liver outcomes, which can create an opportunity to prevent further damage to the liver when combined with lifestyle changes.
What are NAFLD & NASH?
NAFLD - a disease that impacts up to 25 percent of the U.S. population - is an excessive fat buildup in the liver which often causes inflammation that may lead to liver damage and scarring (fibrosis). Over time, as fibrosis causes the loss of healthy liver tissue, it can progress to cirrhosis. This 'silent killer,' better known as NASH, can cause liver failure and liver cancer if untreated. In fact, by 2030 it is estimated NASH will be the leading cause of liver transplants in the U.S.
Risk Factors for NAFLD & NASH
Certain risk factors like obesity, type-2 diabetes, and high cholesterol make people more likely to develop NAFLD. With the rise of obesity across America, NAFLD prevalence continues to increase