Fatty Liver News and Research

Latest Fatty Liver News and Research

Baby boomers more likely to develop HCV

Experts at Montefiore Medical Center urge the general public to be tested for the Hepatitis C virus, especially baby boomers, adults born between 1946-1964, who could be most at risk for this disease. Baby boomers are more likely to have been exposed to dangerous risk factors decades ago, such as sharing a drug needle, being tattooed or pierced with unsterilized tools or receiving a tainted blood transfusion.

2 Dec 2011

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease does not appear to affect survival

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common condition associated with obesity and heart disease long thought to undermine health and longevity. But a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests the condition does not affect survival.

22 Nov 2011

Dramatic rise in obesity, fatty liver disease increases need for transplants

The dramatic rise in obesity is leading to more fatty liver disease in the United States, increasing the need for more transplants at a time when there already is a severe shortage of donated organs.

11 Nov 2011

Drug effectively combats obesity in “couch potato” monkeys” Study

According a new study an experimental anti-cancer drug could help fight obesity. The drug chokes off the blood supply to fat cells and helped obese monkeys slim down in the experiments.

10 Nov 2011

Mediterranean Diet beneficial even without weight loss

The benefits of the Mediterranean Diet go beyond weight loss, even when weight loss isn't achieved. Researchers from St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, studied 12 patients without diabetes who had nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and the results of their study demonstrated that liver health was improved even without weight loss.

7 Nov 2011

Long-term morbidity and mortality of NAFLD patients with advanced fibrosis, cirrhosis

Patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis have a lower incidence of liver-related complications and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) than patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), according to the prospective study published in the October issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

28 Sep 2011

Liver transplantation candidates without HCC derive greater survival benefit from LDLT

New research shows liver transplantation candidates without hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) derive a greater survival benefit from a living donor liver transplant (LDLT) than waiting for a deceased donor liver transplant.

28 Sep 2011

Phenex commences Px-102 first-in-man Phase I study for Metabolic Syndrome and NAFLD

Phenex Pharmaceuticals AG announced today the start of a first-in-man Phase I study with its clinical drug candidate Px-102, a synthetic non-steroidal FXR agonist. The volunteers of the first dose level received the drug and showed no signs of discomfort or other adverse effects.

19 Sep 2011

Specialists propose changes to allocation and distribution of organs for liver transplants

Transplantation specialists have proposed changes to the allocation and distribution of organs used for liver transplants. The recommended policy modifications take into account the scarcity of available organs, ensuring rapid allocation and delivery of the organ to those most in need in order to reduce mortality for waitlisted patients.

12 Sep 2011

Aerobic exercise best for belly fat reduction: Study

A new study has shown that the best type of exercise to burn unhealthy belly fat is aerobic exercise. The results showed that people who did aerobics for eight months lost about 2.5 square inches of belly fat, as measured on a CT scan. That's about 1.5 times as much as people who did a combination of aerobic exercise and weight lifting, and about 20 times as much as those who only lifted weights.

31 Aug 2011

Study: Aerobic training effectively reduces belly fat

Aerobic exercise is your best bet when it comes to losing that dreaded belly fat, a new study finds.

26 Aug 2011

Saffron promotes apoptosis and inhibits growth of cancerous cells

New research suggests that saffron provides a significant chemopreventive effect against liver cancer in animal models. When saffron was administered to rats with diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced liver cancer an inhibition of cell proliferation and stimulation of apoptosis was observed. Full findings appear in the September issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

22 Aug 2011

FDA clears Resonance Health's MRI-Q System for cardiac T2* iron assessment

Resonance Health Ltd, a medical device company specializing in imaging core laboratory services has received FDA clearance to market its MRI-Q System.

16 Aug 2011

Negative physiological changes may raise risk of type 2 diabetes

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25 percent of Americans have inactive lifestyles and 75 percent do not meet the weekly exercise recommendations to maintain good health.

3 Aug 2011

WSU professor receives NIH grant for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease research

Kezhong Zhang, Ph.D., assistant professor of molecular medicine and genetics and of immunology and microbiology in the School of Medicine at Wayne State University, was awarded $1.7 million by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health to explore how molecular elements in the body regulate the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

29 Jul 2011

Gene PNPLA3 offers potential therapeutic target in chronic hepatitis C liver damage

New research confirms that a variant on the patatin-like phospholipase-3 (PNPLA3) gene increases risk of steatosis and fibrosis progression in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). The PNPLA3 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs 738409 may represent an important genetic predictor and potential therapeutic target in chronic HCV liver damage.

29 Jun 2011

Eating more soluble fiber and engagement in moderate activity reduces belly fat

All fat is not created equal. Unsightly as it is, subcutaneous fat, the fat right under the skin, is not as dangerous to overall health as visceral fat, the fat deep in the belly surrounding vital organs.

27 Jun 2011

Foods and lifestyles that cause most weight gain: Study

New research shows that eating more potato chips and French fries and watching too much TV are likely to lead to a bigger weight gain over the years than the weight change associated with eating more of other foods.

23 Jun 2011

Elastography and serum markers show promise in patients with liver disease

Patients who are evaluated for liver diseases such as hepatitis C (HCV) are typically recommended for liver biopsy to determine the extent of disease progression.

3 Jun 2011

Noninvasive diagnostics may offer alternative to liver biopsy for assessing liver fibrosis

Patients who are evaluated for liver diseases such as hepatitis C (HCV) are typically recommended for liver biopsy to determine the extent of disease progression. For patients who question whether less invasive testing is available, clinicians now have alternatives options to consider. Elastography and serum markers are two such diagnostic options reviewed in an editorial published in the June issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

2 Jun 2011