Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) is, by far, the most prominent liver disease, even exceeding all viral hepatitis combined together. It is also becoming the most frequent etiology of liver cirrhosis. Despite this, NASH is still a widely unrecognized disease, not only by patients affected by it but also by physicians. All…

A routine blood draw includes the levels of aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) in the bloodstream, both of which are reflective of liver health. Just as important as the absolute levels of AST and ALT is the ratio between the two, known as the De Ritis ratio. This…

New Year, New Liver. The beginning of the year is often a time to think of “getting healthy.” And here’s a thought: Liver health should be an important part of those plans. After all, the liver is as essential to us as our heart and our lungs. Everything we eat…

First described in 1971, recent research brought clarity to the role that galectin-3 plays in a wide range of human diseases, including inflammation and cancers. In the liver, galectin-3 plays a significant role in diseases such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and its complication, liver cirrhosis. What are galectins? Galectins are a class of…

The emergence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) as global health threats, along with the progression to NASH cirrhosis has brought cirrhosis back into focus as a large, unmet medical need. Much of this focus has been on preventing the development of NASH cirrhosis, but now…

Eating healthy is an important part of maintaining your body’s well-being, but have you ever wondered what food is best for promoting healthy liver functioning? The American Liver Foundation suggests eating a balanced diet with foods from all food groups: grains, fruits, vegetables, meat and beans, milk, and oil, but…

Regular exercise is an important part of good health in general, and particularly good liver health. It is also important for those who have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and its most advanced form, NASH cirrhosis. …

It’s not uncommon for clinical trials of new drugs entering the market to struggle with patient recruitment and retention. This is especially true of trials targeting the treatment of chronic diseases, as the trial can require a one- or two-year commitment for patients. Patient retention cannot be an after-thought in…

Guest blog by Eric Lawitz, MD Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) affects millions of Americans and is a significant and growing problem across the world. NASH is a progressive disease, and, while we don’t yet fully understand the mechanism or are able to predict which patients will progress, a subset of NASH…