Weight-Loss Surgery To Resolve Liver Disease
Science Daily, 1st December 2008
Lots of people have serious weight issues these days. Researches show that in 1980 15% of the American population was affected by obesity whereas in 2004 – almost 33%.
One of the problems related with obesity is NAFLD (Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease) – one of the most common liver diseases.
Batriatic surgery is not only an effective way of weight-loss; it’s also, as the recent researches show, a solution for histopathological features of NAFLD. There are numerous complications of NAFLD, such as steatosis, fibrosis and steatohepasis. Researches show they much improve or even resolve completely after weight-loss operation.
“Even today, the effect of weight loss after bariatric surgery on the liver, particularly NAFLD, remains unclear. There is a lack of well-defined trials exploring this relationship,” said Gagan K. Sood, MD, of the University of Texas Medical Branch. “Our team assessed and quantified this effect and found encouraging news: a majority of patients experience complete resolution of NAFLD after bariatric surgery, and the risk of progression of inflammatory changes and fibrosis seems to be minimal.”
Patients between 35 and 49 years old took part in the research. Their BMI varied between 19.11 and 41.76. After the surgery 91.6% of patients had improved steatosis, 81.3% – steatohepatitis, 65.5% – fibrosis and 69.5% were completely cured from NASH.
Further researches need to be carried out using uniform histopathological criteria for liver biopsy specimens.
