Liver disease is steadily on the rise in this country. At least 30 million people – or 1 in 10 Americans – has some form of liver disease.
The rapid increase in liver disease is largely due to the most common form of liver disease – nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The steady increase in the incidence of NAFLD is closely linked to the obesity epidemic in this country. NAFLD is the buildup of extra fat in the liver that is not caused by alcohol. When more than 5-10% of the liver’s weight is fat, then it is determined to be a fatty liver. NAFLD often has no symptoms and the direct cause is unknown. However, NAFLD tends to develop in people who are overweight or have diabetes. If left untreated, NAFLD can lead to inflammation of the liver (NASH), scarring (cirrhosis), liver cancer or even liver failure.
Diagnosis of fatty liver disease has been challenging in the past due to the lack of symptoms and the need for a liver biopsy to confirm the amount of damage to the liver. Liver biopsies are invasive, pricey, somewhat risky and painful for the patient. A new technology called FibroScan® has emerged in the fight against liver disease and GCSA is proud to be one of the only sites in San Antonio to offer it. FibroScan® is a procedure used to scan the liver. It is non-invasive and similar to ultrasound. It measures the degree of scarring, or fibrosis of the liver in a matter of minutes. This technology can be used confirm the stage of disease, monitor the progress of treatments and most importantly help to diagnose liver disease at an early stage, when treatments offer the liver a chance to recover and heal itself.
There is currently no treatment for fatty liver disease, but general lifestyle therapies include weight loss, control of diabetes, a healthy diet, regular exercise and abstinence from alcohol. GCSA participates in a number of research studies at Pinnacle Clinical Research that focus on finding medical treatments for fatty liver disease. Visit our website for information on how to get involved in these or other related studies.
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