Here at Patient Worthy, we aim to bring you rare patient news. It might not always be the news you want to hear, but it’s important nonetheless.
Today’s dose of not necessarily great news comes from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) about a disease on the rise: nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
From 1988 and 2010, presence of NASH increased four times among adolescents.
Okay, 22 years is a long time, but a 400% increase seems pretty significant to me.
NASH is a form of NAFLD, or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The name is pretty self-explanatory – there’s a fat build-up in the liver. Beyond increased fat, NASH also causes liver inflammation and damage.
The doctor leading the study on NASH said NAFLD has been found “the most common cause of chronic liver disease in children and adolescents,” and it’s due to the increasing problem of obesity.
The same had not yet been found about NASH. Thus, the reason for the study.
One analysis of the data found the following factors related to a higher chance of developing this condition:
- Older age
- Male gender
- Mexican-American ethnicity
- BMI percentile
- Study time period
Like I said earlier, news of a growing disease is not necessarily news we want to hear. BUT it is so important.
Why?
For one, it leads to greater awareness, and awareness leads to better prevention.
Here’s the way I look at it: you can’t always choose what happens, but you can choose what’s next.
Moving forward, the doctor leading the study identified two important needs:
- Diagnosing NAFLD earlier
- Taking preventative steps (weight loss and a healthy diet)
You can read more about NASH here, and read more about the study here.
