cirrhosis tagged posts

Drug therapy may effectively treat a potentially life-threatening condition associated with cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases, according to a new study by Mayo Clinic researchers. The study was posted in March on Gastroenterology, the online journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. Print publication is scheduled for July.

While therapies have been available to treat some forms of liver disease, including hepatitis C and autoimmune hepatitis, options have been more limited for treating portal hypertension, a condition where th...

3-4 cups of Coffee a day linked to Longer Life

Three or 4 cups a day confers greatest benefit, except in pregnancy and for women at risk of fracture. Drinking coffee is “more likely to benefit health than to harm it” for a range of health outcomes, say researchers in The BMJ today. They bring together evidence from over 200 studies and find that drinking 3 to 4 cups of coffee a day is associated with a lower risk of death and getting heart disease compared with drinking no coffee. Coffee drinking is also associated with lower risk of some cancers, diabetes, liver disease and dementia.

However, they say drinking coffee in pregnancy may be associated with harms, and may be linked to a very small increased risk of fracture in women...

A natural compound, limonene, found in oranges and lemons, could be indicative in early-stage diagnosis of liver disease. Patients with this illness do not often present with symptoms until the disease is advanced. Even then diagnosis is difficult and the symptoms and signs are often general and can be mistaken for other pathologies. For advanced cirrhosis liver,transplant is the only treatment.

In the UK liver disease has risen sharply over the past few decades and is the 3rd biggest cause of premature mortality, with 3/4 of liver deaths due to alcohol. Patients do not often present with symptoms until the disease is advanced.

The R enantiomer of limonene smells like oranges. The S enantiomer smells like lemons. Credit: https://jahschem.wikispaces.com/stereochem+in+biology

The Molec...