diagnosing Archives - NASH AWARE

One of the most frustrating parts of the NASH pandemic is that most people suffering from it have no symptoms and absolutely no idea there is even an issue. Part of the reason for this lack of awareness is because there is no truly definitive way to diagnose NASH other than an invasive biopsy of the liver.

A primary goal of many biopharma companies working on NASH today is not only to find a cure but also to develop non-invasive tests that can conclusively diagnose the disease. This is important because even with everything that is known about the widespread precedence of the disease routine screening is still not recommended due to uncertainty and costs. It’s vital that we reach a point where an effective screen for NAFLD/NASH is in widespread use to combat the incidence of the disease.

So how do doctors today determine if someone has NAFLD or NASH? Here’s everything you need to know. Continue reading “The Challenge of Diagnosing NASH” →

NASH is the acronym for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. It’s a type of advanced liver disease that is clinically indistinguishable from alcohol-induced liver damage, but whose causes are totally different. Late stage NASH leads invariably to chronic cirrhosis and ultimately liver failure and death. The most common cause of NASH is long-term obesity, and so the threat has grown in relation to the rising rates of obesity in western society. Therefore NASH is quickly becoming an epidemic, with estimates of 15 to 30 million Americans living with the disease, the vast majority of whom are undiagnosed. They are living with a ticking time bomb inside their bodies. Continue reading “What is NASH?” →