Shedding Light On A Silent Disease
New guidelines and simple screening tools to test for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis
Fans of the GI Joe cartoon series are familiar with the phrase, “knowing is half the battle.” Now, for people living with diabetes or those treating patients with diabetes, there is a new set of guidelines and some simple screening tools to test for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
These guidelines and testing tools bring to light a condition that is quite common but often difficult to detect without screening.
The condition affects as much as 25% of the population – and 60% of people with diabetes – particularly type 2 diabetes.
The American Gastroenterology Association, including Touro University California’s Dr. Jay Shubrook, and Knighten Health provided a congress to bring the world’s experts together to come to terms and develop standards for this condition.
Dr. Shubrook’s work often helps provide a bridge between primary care and diabetes research and these new guidelines are critical in helping bring this silent condition to light.
“Fatty liver disease is a common and silent condition – it is a sign that you may be at risk for cirrhosis, liver cancer and heart disease,” Dr. Shubrook said. “There are simple screening tools that can tell you whether you are at risk for fatty liver disease.” Concerned patients should ask their clinician about getting screened for Fatty Liver disease, Dr. Shubrook suggested.
Primary care and other clinicians can learn about the risk factors and determine whether to proceed with further screening at nash.gastro.org. This site has the new consensus guidelines, a clinical care pathway, an app to use in your practice and a series of podcasts to learn more.