Boston Physician, Robert Brown, M.D. reveals NEW PUBLIC HEALTH THREAT FROM LIVER ILLNESS LINKED TO OBESITY
This Growing Epidemic Known As Fatty Liver Disease Affects 80 Million Americans, but Few Are Aware It Exists
It’s an epidemic that’s caught the medical community by surprise and is quickly becoming a leading cause of liver transplants across the country. There are currently no drugs approved to treat the disease which causes the liver to swell with fat. Although it’s nearly identical to the liver damage seen in heavy drinkers, the problem is not caused by alcohol, but instead by poor diet and excess weight.
While 80 million people in the U.S. are affected by nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), studies show that more than 10% of American adults have the more progressive form of the disease known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH. A study by the Mayo Clinic found that the percentage of liver transplants performed nationwide because of NASH had climbed to nearly 10% by 2009, up from 1% in 2001. But doctors say there are many more people waiting for liver transplants than there are organs available, and some fear the explosion of this condition will make the problem even worse.
Dr. Robert Brown is an internationally known expert in liver disease and liver transplantation. He has co-authored over 125 peer-reviewed articles most dedicated to viral hepatitis and liver transplantation and has extensive research funding in those areas. He is an Associate Editor for Liver Transplantation and Gastroenterology and Hepatology and published a book, “Common Liver Diseases and Transplantation.