Encouraging findings suggest new avenues for treating liver disease in overweight Americans
Estimates of the prevalence of liver disease suggest that one‐third of the United States population has non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD is now the most common cause for elevated liver function tests in the United States, a trend related to the obesity epidemic in this country. Non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the progressive form of NAFLD, can lead to cirrhosis and all its complications. Two studies presented at the 75th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology investigated the effectiveness of potential treatments for NASH, one assessing pentoxifylline, a well‐known drug with a well‐established safety profile that inhibits the release of TNFα among other mechanisms; as well as a separate analysis of pioglitazone, an insulin sensitizer, compared to vitamin E.