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 Obesity will overtake alcohol for biggest cause of liver failure

Over-eating will replace alcohol as the reason for most liver transplants by 2020, an expert has said. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease , caused by eating more than the organ can handle, is “one of the major and growing challenges”, warned Dr Quentin Anstee.

 Supplements cause more liver damage, decadelong study finds

Liver injuries from dietary supplements rose in one population over the last decade. They caused more deaths than traditional medications, too. But it's not yet clear if the results apply to the rest of the U.S.

 What's the Big Deal About a Fatty Liver?

For those patients who have been diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, it is the leading cause of chronic liver disease in the United States and other Western countries.

 Why Hepatitis C Still Kills 16,000 Americans Per Year, and What We Can Do About It

Many patients infected with hepatitis C have no symptoms -- the virus attacks with insidious stealth -- and thus no cause to suspect they are infected, much less take action. You can look and feel absolutely healthy, even as serious liver damage worsens. All too often, as a result, this hidden disease remains long undetected, sometimes for decades.

Articles of Interest

Decompensated Liver Disease and what we can do about it in the ED

There are essentially three main causes of chronic liver disease; Alcohol, Viruses and non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) as result of obesity, hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia; the so called “metabolic syndrome“. Many people with chronic liver disease are asymptomatic. It takes a seriously cirrhosed liver to cause symptoms. If I’ve a patient with an incidental finding of deranged liver function tests in an otherwise well person, other than counselling about lifestyle changes I would refer these people back to primary care for investigation. The patients I’m worried about in the ED are those who have decompensated. They present with deteriorating liver function, jaundice, encephalopathy or renal dysfunction

Aegeline Identified As Harmful Ingredient In OxyElite Pro

Although around 180 million Americans use diet supplements daily, it is very difficult for the FDA to oversee them. Manufacturers do not need FDA approval before selling dietary supplements, but they are supposed to prove that new ingredients are safe for consumption.

Infection is 'No. 1 cause' for acute on chronic liver failure in western countries

“Infections profoundly affect the natural history of cirrhosis and are a major cause of ACLF,” Bajaj said during his presentation. “Prevention of further infections remains a challenge.”

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Seattle Children's

Liver failure means the liver cannot perform its vital functions in the body, such as producing chemicals and filtering blood. There are two common types of liver failure: When liver failure results from a sudden illness in a person with no history of liver disease, it is called acute or fulminant liver failure. When liver failure occurs at the end of a long-standing liver disease, it is called chronic liver failure or end-stage liver disease. Chronic liver failure is linked to severe scarring of the liver, which is called cirrhosis.