Liver Disease News and Research

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The liver is one of the largest solid organs of the body. It is located in the upper right part of the abdomen. Most of the organ lies under cover of the rib cage.

Hepatologists effectively deliver palliative care to patients with liver disease

Advanced liver disease (ALD) occurs when significant scarring causes the liver to lose function. Patients with ALD often have serious health challenges but have limited access to palliative care that could improve their quality of life.

13 Apr 2026

Obesity health risks differ significantly between men and women

New research being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Istanbul, Turkey (12-15 May), reveals distinct patterns of heart, metabolic, and inflammatory health risks between men and women living with obesity, providing an insight into how clinicians may be able to tailor management approaches.

13 Apr 2026

Weight gain timing affects long-term health outcomes

When in life we gain weight can have a significant impact on our health many years later. In a study involving over 600,000 people, researchers at Lund University in Sweden have investigated how changes in weight between the ages of 17 and 60 are linked to the risk of dying from various diseases

11 Apr 2026

More steps cut chronic disease risk but cannot fully undo long sitting

Research shows higher daily step counts can mitigate risks of chronic diseases linked to prolonged sitting, emphasizing the need to reduce sedentary time.

10 Apr 2026

IBS diagnosis gaps persist across racial and gender groups in the U.S.

A national survey study led by UCLA Health and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center found significant disparities in how irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is diagnosed across sex and racial groups in the U.S., with men and Black patients considerably less likely than women and white patients to receive a formal diagnosis.

9 Apr 2026

New blood test spots four cancers and other diseases by stripping away healthy DNA noise

MethylScan is a new low-cost cell-free DNA methylome test that removes much of the healthy blood DNA background, helping rare disease signals stand out more clearly. In more than 1,000 people, it showed strong performance for detecting four cancers, classifying liver diseases, and identifying organ-specific damage.

7 Apr 2026

Occasional heavy drinking poses major risk to liver health

People may assume that if they drink lightly during the week or month, heavy drinking on the occasional Friday or Saturday may not cause their liver harm.

2 Apr 2026

What happens when more of your exercise is vigorous instead of moderate?

In a large UK Biobank analysis, a higher proportion of vigorous physical activity relative to total activity volume was associated with lower risks of eight major chronic diseases and all-cause mortality, even after accounting for overall activity volume. Device-based data suggested that activity intensity generally offered greater preventive potential than total volume alone across most outcomes.

31 Mar 2026

Novel compound clears harmful protein, protects neurons in frontotemporal dementia models

New research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis adds to growing evidence that helping brain cells break down and eliminate their own cellular waste is a promising treatment strategy for a variety of neurodegenerative diseases.

31 Mar 2026

Study links atrial fibrillation to poorer brain clearance and cognitive decline

Researchers found that people with atrial fibrillation had lower MRI-based glymphatic activity and poorer cognitive performance than healthy controls, with the greatest impairment seen in non-paroxysmal AF. In patients who underwent catheter ablation, glymphatic activity improved after sinus rhythm was restored, suggesting a possible link between heart rhythm, brain waste clearance, and cognition.

30 Mar 2026

Short bursts of vigorous activity can lower risk of major diseases

People who get just a few minutes of vigorous activity daily are less likely to develop eight major diseases, including arthritis, heart disease and dementia, according to research published in the European Heart Journal today (Monday).

29 Mar 2026

Higher sugar intake raises gallstone risk in adults, study finds

A cross-sectional NHANES study of 8,975 U.S. adults found that higher total dietary sugar intake was associated with higher odds of gallstones, with each 100 g/day increase linked to a 41% rise after full adjustment. The findings suggest sugar intake may be a modifiable gallstone risk factor, but the study relied on self-reported gallstones and cannot establish causation.

29 Mar 2026

Ultrasound advances offer noninvasive assessment of portal hypertension severity

Portal hypertension (PH), a serious complication of liver cirrhosis, is defined as a pressure gradient > 5 mmHg between the portal vein and the inferior vena cava.

27 Mar 2026

Machine learning model predicts liver cancer risk with high accuracy

A machine learning model that analyzes patient demographics, electronic health record data, and routine blood test results predicted a patient's risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of liver cancer, with high accuracy.

26 Mar 2026

New algorithm enables precise subtyping of metabolic liver disease

Metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a clinically heterogeneous condition with highly variable outcomes affecting more than 30% individuals globally.

26 Mar 2026

Palmatine improved fatty liver markers in a preclinical type 2 diabetes study

Researchers used a bioinformatics-plus-rat-model approach to investigate how palmatine may help treat T2DM-associated MASLD, identifying five core targets: ADRB2, BCL3, EGR1, FOS, and MAP3K8. In rats, palmatine improved liver injury, inflammation, oxidative stress, glycolipid metabolism, steatosis, and fibrosis, while reducing apoptosis-related signaling, providing a preclinical foundation for further therapeutic study.

23 Mar 2026

Researchers show how smartwatches can help identify insulin resistance

Researchers developed a scalable framework that predicts insulin resistance using wearable-device signals, routine blood biomarkers, and demographic data, with stronger performance when these data streams were combined. The study also introduced an AI agent to explain insulin resistance risk, interpret results, and support earlier metabolic risk screening.

17 Mar 2026

Expert consensus validates UDFF for noninvasive fatty liver assessment

As the global burden of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome continues to rise, fatty liver disease has become one of the most prevalent chronic liver conditions worldwide. Its progressive forms, including metabolic dysfunction‐associated steatohepatitis (MASH), cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma, now represent a major public health challenge.

17 Mar 2026

Father's nicotine use may increase diabetes risk for offspring

A mouse study found that a father's nicotine exposure can affect the offspring's ability to process sugar and may contribute to diabetes risk, according to new research published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.

12 Mar 2026

Low testosterone and high fructose intake can worsen fatty liver disease

Low testosterone in itself can cause a variety of health problems, but the addition of a poor diet can exacerbate certain conditions. Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is one example that approximately 40% of adult men worldwide currently suffer from and has become a global problem.

11 Mar 2026