About Me

Welcome to my blog! I am a medical doctor currently in the role of a health entrepreneur and a health coach/consultant. My blogs are focused on using a holistic approach towards healthcare. I believe patients are not just diseases but humans as a whole. Therefore, conventional treatments should be combined with alternative/natural therapies. My blogs focus on providing guidance to fix the cause of conditions and not just reduce the symptoms.

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Showing posts with label Liver Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Liver Health. Show all posts

Can This Be the Ultimate Cure Almost One Quarter of Americans Were Waiting For?

  July 01, 2020    




Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic metabolic disorder of the liver that affects hundreds of millions of people around the world, including one quarter of the total American population. It currently has no proven cure.


A first of its kind drug has been tested in a clinical trial by a group of scientists at University of California San Diego School of Medicine.It has been reported that this drug safely and effectively inhibits a key enzyme, which improves NAFLD.

This new drug, named IONIS-DGAT2 Rx, inhibits an enzyme called Diacylglycerol- O-acyltransferase 2 (DGAT2), which is necessary for the synthesis of triglycerides. Therefore, IONIS-DGAT2 Rx is currently under clinical investigation as a possible treatment for NAFLD and Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH). The aim of this trial was to examine the tolerability, safety and efficacy of IONIS-DGAT2 Rx versus placebo in reducing liver fat in patients with type 2 diabetes and NAFLD.



What is NAFLD?

NAFLD is a simple form of fatty liver where only excess fat is stored in liver tissue WITHOUT any signs of inflammation (pain and swelling of liver) or liver damage. This type of fatty liver is not linked with excessive alcohol intake.


What is NASH?

When simple NAFLD progresses toward inflammation where there is pain and swelling of the liver, then the condition is called Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis or NASH. Only a small percentage of people with NAFLD progress to develop NASH.

There is currently no cure. Treatment primarily consists of making dietary and lifestyle changes, such as exercising regularly and losing weight, choosing a more nutritious and fat free diet and controlling other medical conditions like diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure). Currently,  Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of USA has not approved of any drug treatment.


About the Study:

The study involved 13 weeks of treatment period of 44 participants at 16 clinical sites in Canada, Poland and Hungary. The participants were divided into a group of 29 people who received the drug and 15 people who were given a placebo. Eligible participants were aged 18–75 years, had a BMI between 27 kg/m 2 - 39 kg/m 2, haemoglobin A 1c (HbA 1c) levels from 7·3% to 9·5%, and liver fat content 10% or greater and agreed to maintain a stable diet and exercise routine throughout the study. The treatment group receive once weekly injection of 250 mg IONIS-DGAT2 Rx.


Findings:

Significant reductions (roughly 30% fat reduction in majority of participants) in liver fat were noted in MRI imaging without causing an increase in blood lipid levels, blood glucose levels and liver enzyme levels like aminotransferases. Changes in body weight and gastrointestinal side-effects were also not reported when compared with the placebo.


The results from this clinical trial suggest that inhibition of DGAT2 could be a safe and efficacious strategy for treatment of NAFLD. Further investigation in patients can be explored and supported with biopsy-proven NASH. Based on this promising pharmacological target, the response to treatment observed in this specific study population could be extended to the broader population of patients worldwide with NAFLD. 
 

 


Reference: Rohit Loomba, Erin Morgan, Lynnetta Watts, Shuting Xia, Lisa A Hannan, Richard S Geary, Brenda F Baker, Sanjay Bhanot. Novel antisense inhibition of diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 2 for treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial. The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 2020; DOI: 10.1016/S2468-1253(20)30186-2.


  

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Liver - An Intro to a Mighty Organ - Anatomy and Structure

  June 26, 2020    


Anatomy of Liver


Introduction

Liver is the second LARGEST internal organ, only second to skin. There are MORE THAN 500 vital functions performed by this mighty organ. Given that, obviously, not all the specifics and details would fit in one post for all the readers to absorb at once. And so, I will have a series of posts dedicated only to LIVER HEALTH, covering all topics, that you will be able to have access to (just refer to the LIVER HEALTH label).


Anatomy & Structure

The liver is an organ about the size of a football, weight around 3 pounds. It is located under your ribs over on the right side of your abdomen. The liver is essential for digesting food and ridding your body of toxic substances, which we will talk about in upcoming posts in detail.

The liver has two main divisions or lobes (left and right). Each lobe is further divided into eight segments. Each segment has an estimated 1,000 lobules, or small lobes. Each of these lobules has a small tube (duct) that flows toward the common hepatic duct (refer to the diagram at the top). The reddish-brown appearance of this organ is thanks to the amount of blood that is flowing through it at any given point in time - an estimated 13% of body's total blood is present in the liver.


What is Liver Disease and how to define it?

Liver disease can be inherited/genetic, in which case liver problems are apparent during early years of life. Alternatively, liver disease can be also caused by a variety of factors that damage the liver, such as viruses, alcohol use and obesity, which tend to surface a little later in life.

Stages of Liver Disease: 1. Liver disease without any symptoms (fatty liver) -> proceeds to -> 2. Liver disease with inflammation and pain (Hepatitis) -> proceeds to -> 3. Reversible scarring (fibrosis) -> proceeds to -> 4. Permanent scarring (cirrhosis; End-stage Liver Disease)

Over some period of time, conditions that damage the liver may remain without any signs or symptoms OR can proceed to the development of liver inflammation (pain and swelling), which can generate symptoms. The stage of prolonged/chronic liver inflammation then leads to next stage of fibrosis (which can be reversed if drastic actions are taken early in time), or continue on the last stage of permanent damage also called scarring or cirrhosis). Cirrhosis ultimately leads to liver failure which can be fatal.


Common signs and symptoms associated with liver disease (will be further explained in detail in upcoming posts):

  • Skin and eyes that appear yellowish (jaundice)
  • Abdominal pain and swelling
  • Pale stool color
  • Dark urine color
  • Tendency to bruise easily
  • Swelling in the legs and ankles
  • Itchy skin
  • Fatigue/loss of energy/tiredness
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Loss of appetite

Please consult with your doctor if you have any concerns or might be experiencing any signs and symptoms presented above.

Resouruces: www.webmd.com, www.healthline.com.

  

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