New Study Reveals True Burden of Hidden Pandemic of Fatty Liver Disease; Results Published In NEJM; Study Creates Road Map for Future Treatments of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, for Which There Is No Approved Treatment

A longitudinal national study led by Virginia Commonwealth University researcher Arun Sanyal, MD, shows that people with advanced liver scarring caused by obesity, diabetes, and related disorders are dying of liver disease. Published in the October 21, 2021 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, the research brings new urgency to tests for liver disease, particularly in populations with Type 2 diabetes, and creates a road map for future treatments of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease--treatments that could prevent the need for liver transplants for those with advanced disease. The NEJM article is titled “Prospective Study of Outcomes in Adults with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.”