23 Oct The Global Liver Institute Launches NASH Council To Fight Insidious Liver Disease

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Donna Cryer JD

Donna R. Cryer, JD

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this Council?

Response: The Global Liver Institute operates my constantly assessing the liver health landscape for what we call advocacy gaps to determine where we allocate our time and resources. We identified NASH 2 years ago as an imminent global public health crisis due to the tens of millions of diagnosed and estimated undiagnosed patients rising with rates of obesity and diabetes with no concomitant recognition and activity by public, patients, or physicians. We decided to launch the NASH Council with collaborative patient and physician leadership and involving Hepatology but deliberately reaching out to primary care, endocrine, cardiology, and obesity organizations.

MedicalResearch.com: What is meant by NASH?

Response: Quite simply NASH is an advanced form of liver disease not caused by alcohol use, where fat has so infiltrated the liver that the liver cells become damaged, inflamed and at later stages may become scarred (fibrotic), cirrhotic, and cancerous.  Obesity is a greater driver of cancer than tobacco or sunshine.

MedicalResearch.com: What are the council’s objectives?

1. Increase public understanding and appreciation of relevance, scope, and impact of NASH
2. . Improve physician education and appreciation of NASH diagnosis and management from primary care through specialists
3. Design effective patient identification, screening, education, and support strategies and content
4. Support the development of therapies to treat NASH

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: With fatty liver disease NAFLD and NASH known to affect at least 40 million people everyone should ask for liver enzyme tests and if they are in any risk group (e.g diabetes, high cholesterol) for an ultrasound or other liver imaging test. Both are low cost and easy for their primary care doctor to order and the person to do. If you are over weight, lose weight.  No one should be told there is nothing to do. There are things that can help now and more help on the horizon.

MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.

Disclosures: We received an unrestricted educational grant from Allergan for the launch event. GLI maintained exclusive control of all aspects including the agenda, content and invitation list.

Citation:

The Global Liver Institute is launching the NASH Council to forge a collective action plan to address this silent epidemic.  October 18th in Washington, D.C

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/liver-disease/nafld-nash/definition-facts

Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.

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Last Updated on October 23, 2017 by Marie Benz MD FAAD