(Press-News.org) Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common condition that affects up to 30% of adults in the general population. It is characterized by the accumulation of fat in the liver. It is often associated with other conditions, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. The new definition of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) was proposed in 2020. MAFLD is diagnosed based on hepatic steatosis (fatty liver) and at least one of three metabolic risk abnormalities: overweight/obesity, type 2 diabetes, or evidence of metabolic dysregulation.
A recent meta-analysis led by Ming-Hua Zheng from the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University has reported a global prevalence of MAFLD of 38.8% in adults. MAFLD can progress to cirrhosis and promote the development of some critical extrahepatic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease.
MAFLD is a severe condition that can lead to cirrhosis and other health problems. There is no cure for MAFLD, but there are treatments that can help to manage the condition and prevent complications. Treatments for MAFLD typically focus on lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a serious condition affecting millions worldwide. CKD is characterized by a progressive loss of kidney function. It can cause a significant increase in morbidity and mortality. In 2017, the global prevalence of CKD was estimated to be around 9%.
A growing body of evidence suggests that MAFLD may be a risk factor for CKD. MAFLD is a condition that is characterized by the accumulation of fat in the liver. It is often associated with other conditions, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
A recent meta-analysis of observational studies found that people with MAFLD were more likely to develop CKD than people without MAFLD. The meta-analysis included data from over 1 million people. This study supplies further evidence that MAFLD may be a risk factor for CKD.
The researchers found that people with MAFLD were 20% more likely to have CKD than people without MAFLD. The risk of CKD was even higher in people with more severe MAFLD. The researchers say that MAFLD could be a target for the prevention and treatment of CKD. They also say that more research is needed to confirm their findings and to understand the mechanisms by which MAFLD may contribute to the development of CKD.
About the eGastroenterology
eGastroenterology is a new, open-access, and open peer-reviewed BMJ Journal, which focuses on basic, clinical, translational, and evidence-based medicine research in all areas of gastroenterology (including hepatology, pancreatology, esophagology, and gastrointestinal surgery).
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Oak Brook, IL – The August 2023 issue of SLAS Technology, the open access journal emphasizing scientific and technical advances across the life sciences, is now available. Volume 28, Issue 4, contains a review from the literature and eight full-length articles covering nanodiamonds, automated buffer exchange, epidermal growth factor (EGF) and other laboratory automation-related research.
From the Literature
Life sciences discovery and technology highlights
The authors examine several areas of research within the literature to highlight significant developments ...
What if we could identify the earliest warning signs of cardiovascular disease from a simple saliva sample? Scientists think they have found a way to do so. Gum inflammation leads to periodontitis, which is linked with cardiovascular disease. The team used a simple oral rinse to see if levels of white blood cells — an indicator of gum inflammation — in the saliva of healthy adults could be linked to warning signs for cardiovascular disease. They found that high levels correlated with compromised flow-mediated dilation, an early indicator of poor arterial health.
“Even in young healthy adults, low levels of oral inflammatory load may have an impact on cardiovascular ...
Lead exposure has long been a known health risk, especially for young children. Research has found that even at low levels, chronic exposure to lead can cause damage to the brain and other organs and cause problems with cognitive and motor skills. In response, public health officials have determined that there is no safe exposure level and have made great efforts to eliminate lead-based paint and lead pipes in homes and phase out the use of leaded gasoline.
But another possible source of lead exposure in children has been largely overlooked: secondhand ...
Researchers at Texas A&M University will spearhead a groundbreaking project to revolutionize medication administration for pediatric patients, thanks to an approximately $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
This pioneering initiative explores using additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, to create customized tablets tailored to the unique needs of young children. The project is an interdisciplinary collaboration of experts from the College of Engineering, the College of Pharmacy and the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
Traditional manufacturing methods yield mass-produced medicinal tablets ...
Overview
Assistant Professor Yuya Hosoda of the Center for IT-Based Education (CITE), Toyohashi University of Technology developed a method for estimating the pitch of vocal cord vibrations of humans from call audio. In this method, the pitch is estimated by integrating the feature quantities extracted from the amplitude and phase spectra of speech on the complex plane. Through experiments, we have demonstrated that the proposed method is not only efficient for call audios whose frequency band is restricted by communication standards, but also works robustly in an environment with background ...
Niigata, Japan – our movements are controlled by multiple neural pathways that connect the brain and spinal cord. In particular, neurons in the cerebral cortex send commands to the motor neurons in the spinal cord and then to the muscles, thus eliciting the required movement. However, this flow of neural information is compromised in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)—a widespread progressive neurodegenerative disease in which the muscles gradually atrophy, making movement and breathing difficult. Moreover, a protein called TDP-43 has been found to abnormally ...
A striking image of the invasive orange pore fungus (Favolaschia calocera), which highlights the potential threats the species may pose to Australian ecosystems, has won the third BMC Ecology and Evolution image competition. The competition showcases the wonder of the natural world — both past and present — and celebrates those working to understand it. The winning images are open access and freely available for use under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CCBY) license.
The overall winning image depicts bright ...
The end of the last Ice Age also marked the end for more than three dozen genera of large mammals in North America, from mammoths and mastodons to bison and saber-toothed cats. Details concerning the precise timing and circumstances, however, have remained murky ever since.
A team of scientists that included Texas A&M University archaeologist Dr. Michael Waters recently focused on the well-known Rancho La Brea Tar Pits in southern California in their quest to provide answers to these questions, resulting in the most exact and detailed timeline for the extinctions that happened during the latter part of the Pleistocene ...
In trials, the antipsychotic drug brexpiprazole (Rexulti) failed to provide a clinically meaningful benefit and increased the risk of death. Yet the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has fast tracked its approval, making Rexulti the first antipsychotic for treating agitation in elderly patients with dementia.
At a cost of around $1,400 a month Rexulti’s makers, Otsuka and Lundbeck, are forecasting an additional $1 billion in annual sales, but there are serious questions about the harm-benefit balance of this drug, writes investigative journalist Robert Whitaker in The BMJ today.
The decision may also reverse ...
The University of Arizona College of Nursing was one of 50 institutions nationwide to receive a Health Resources and Services Administration grant to increase the number and diversity of Doctor of Nursing Practice students in clinical rotations at Federally Qualified Health Center partners in southern Arizona.
The project will use the $2.6 million in funding from the HRSA’s Advanced Nursing Education Workforce Program to deploy immersive managed practice adaptable clinical training, or IMPACT, starting in the spring semester of 2024.
The grant will support students pursuing doctorates in the specialty areas ...
