Health News
End-stage liver disease is best treated by a liver transplant, a renowned gastroenterologist said at yesterday's Sinai Hospital Department of Medicine Grand Rounds.
Paul Y. Kwo, M.D., is an associate professor of medicine and the medical director of liver transplantation in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Indiana University. His talk at Sinai was made possible by the Ellen Wasserman Lectureship.
The good news, according to Dr. Kwo, is that the increased use of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) gives more weight to disease severity than the patient's time on the wait list. At Indiana University, the median wait time for a liver transplant is 1.6 months versus 11.3 months nationwide, and the adult survival rate for the organ recipients is at 90.04 percent. Physicians are "inching our way" toward transplants for HIV-positive patients, and there's increasing evidence that age doesn't impact the success of a liver transplant.
Plus, transplantation in patients with severe obesity is "feasible," Dr. Kwo said. "The one-year survival rate is no different," he said.
Now for the bad news.
The demand for livers, along with other critical organs, continue to exceed what's available. Liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) is the most rapidly increasing cancer in the United States. Hepatitis C is the most common indicator for liver disease; between 3 to 4 million people are infected in the United States; and half a million people have Hepatitis C-related cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is the slow degeneration of the liver, and while it's most commonly associated with alcohol, it can also result from hepatitis B, C or D or other diseases. Finally, while the death rate from liver disease has fallen overall, it is still highest in the African-American population.
What does this mean for you? Protect your liver by avoiding excessive alcohol consumption and eschewing drugs. Maintain a healthy diet and weight, and stop smoking.
Finally, remember that National Donate Life Month is around the corner. Talk to your family members about becoming an organ donor and sign up with your state registry.
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Health News
The Evolution of Liver Transplantation
End-stage liver disease is best treated by a liver transplant, a renowned gastroenterologist said at yesterday's Sinai Hospital Department of Medicine Grand Rounds.
Paul Y. Kwo, M.D., is an associate professor of medicine and the medical director of liver transplantation in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Indiana University. His talk at Sinai was made possible by the Ellen Wasserman Lectureship.
The good news, according to Dr. Kwo, is that the increased use of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) gives more weight to disease severity than the patient's time on the wait list. At Indiana University, the median wait time for a liver transplant is 1.6 months versus 11.3 months nationwide, and the adult survival rate for the organ recipients is at 90.04 percent. Physicians are "inching our way" toward transplants for HIV-positive patients, and there's increasing evidence that age doesn't impact the success of a liver transplant.
Plus, transplantation in patients with severe obesity is "feasible," Dr. Kwo said. "The one-year survival rate is no different," he said.
Now for the bad news.
The demand for livers, along with other critical organs, continue to exceed what's available. Liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) is the most rapidly increasing cancer in the United States. Hepatitis C is the most common indicator for liver disease; between 3 to 4 million people are infected in the United States; and half a million people have Hepatitis C-related cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is the slow degeneration of the liver, and while it's most commonly associated with alcohol, it can also result from hepatitis B, C or D or other diseases. Finally, while the death rate from liver disease has fallen overall, it is still highest in the African-American population.
What does this mean for you? Protect your liver by avoiding excessive alcohol consumption and eschewing drugs. Maintain a healthy diet and weight, and stop smoking.
Finally, remember that National Donate Life Month is around the corner. Talk to your family members about becoming an organ donor and sign up with your state registry.
- Second Annual "hepatitis Conference: The Silent Epidemic In Kentucky" To Be Held Tuesday, July 28 In Lexington
The second annual "Hepatitis Conference: The Silent Epidemic in Kentucky" will be held Tuesday, July 28, the same day as World Hepatitis Day, at the Embassy Suites, in Lexington. The conference aims to provide information about prevention, diagnosis and...
- Uk Study Will Try To Stem High-risk, Health-damaging Risks In Drug-using Rural Women In Appalachian Kentucky
Researchers at the University of Kentucky have embarked on a five-year study that aims to lower behavioral risks of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C among disadvantaged, rural women in Appalachian Kentucky. With the help of a $2.7 million grant from the National...
- When A Big Stomach Is More Than A Big Stomach
When is a big stomach more than visible proof of eating way too much fatty food? When it is an accumulation of fluid, and not fat, that is causing the abdominal distension. It is called ?ascites,? a medical condition for an accumulation of fluid in the...
- April Is National Donate Life Month
With more than 105,000 people nationwide waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, including nearly 2,000 people in Maryland, the need for designated organ, eye and tissue donors has reached an all time high. Sadly, on average 18 people in the United...
- Organ Donors Save Lives
Did you know there are nearly 2,000 people waiting for a life-saving organ transplant in Maryland? There's never been a better time to sign up to become an organ donor, or to celebrate the accomplishments of transplant recipients. While the opening...