Rohit Loomba, MD, director of the UC San Diego NAFLD Research Center, is available to discuss NASH and what the first-ever International NASH Day aims to accomplish.
Did you know that not all cirrhosis is caused by alcohol abuse? The short answer: probably not.
Another form of cirrhosis, known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) or having a fatty liver, is a rapidly rising public health problem, and is caused from an abundance of fat accumulation in the liver. Since many of the symptoms are nondescript — fatigue, trouble concentrating, itchy skin — it is an under-diagnosed condition.
Currently, NASH is on the trajectory to become the number one reason for liver transplants by 2020. With only weight loss and a healthier diet as the current standard of care, people suffering from advanced NASH have no other options besides a liver transplant.
It is estimated that 100 million Americans, and a billion people globally, are living with NASH. In an effort to raise awareness of this ever growing epidemic, The NASH Education Program and various partners are joining together in 20 locations across the globe to discuss the current state of NASH and NASH treatments for the International NASH day.
NASH is the most serious disease in the larger spectrum of chronic hepatic (liver) diseases known as Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). The cause of both NAFLD and NASH remains a mystery, but certain health conditions, including obesity and type 2 diabetes, can be predisposing factors.
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