WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 20, 2007) Patients with liver disease often suffer from other related illnesses, including type-2 diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure, among others. Research presented today at Digestive Disease Week 2007 (DDW) explores the many unknowns of liver disease by examining new liver biomarkers, understanding disease complications and assessing novel treatments for their disease-fighting potential. DDW is the largest international gathering of physicians and researchers in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.

"There is still so much that researchers need to understand about the liver and its related diseases," said Jacquelyn J. Maher, M.D., University of California, San Francisco. "Studies like these help us recognize important connections between the liver and other organs and highlight creative approaches to liver disease treatment that promise to improve the outcome of the most seriously ill patients."

Recent studies have shown that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with a condition known as the metabolic syndrome, which includes central obesity, type-2 diabetes, dyslipidemia and high blood pressure. However, the direct influence of NAFLD on coronary atherosclerotic disease (CAD, plaque build up in arteries) has not been investigated. This study, conducted by researchers at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and Health Services in Isfahan, Iran, evaluated the predictive value of liver biomarkers for coronary atherosclerosis in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).

The study enrolled 630 patients with suspicious CAD who were candidates for a coronary angiography. To assess the predictive risk of CAD, all study participants were measured for serum AST (aspartate transaminase) and ALT (alanine transaminase) concentrat
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Contact: Aimee Frank
AFrank@gastro.org
301-941-2620
American Gastroenterological Association
20-May-2007