“There are so many tools that endocrinologists can use and so many ways that they can help their patients at whatever stage of disease they are, they can stop NASH now.”
– Donna R. Cryer, JD, Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer, Global Liver Institute
Non-alcohol related steatohepatitis (NASH) – the severest stage of non-alcohol related fatty liver disease (NAFLD) – is a rapidly increasing global epidemic.
A meta-analysis of multiple studies estimates NAFLD has a worldwide prevalence of 25.2%, making it the most common chronic liver condition in the West. NASH is thought to affect anywhere between 1.5–6.45% of people.
These alarming figures are compounded by mounting obesity and type 2 diabetes, leading experts to predict an increase in NASH cases between 2015–2030 of 63%. Children and adolescents are at serious risk, too, with NAFLD now the leading cause of pediatric chronic liver disease.
So concerning is the prevalence of NASH and NAFLD that the call for greater education on emerging therapies and strategies surrounding these diseases is shared by 9 in 10 liver specialists.
International NASH Day aims to help fill the gap in awareness.
Spearheaded by our partner, Global Liver Institute (GLI), and supported by community leaders, industry, clinicians and patient voices, International NASH Day on 9 June 2022 aims to help relieve the burden of NASH on communities and patient lives.
One of the most pressing concerns is that NASH is generally an incidental discovery and is typically only identifiable in the late stages of the disease. Broader awareness and focus helps to develop techniques for earlier diagnosis and treatment.
Equally important is to acknowledge the current and emerging drug developments and clinical advances available and underway.
WATCH: Kenneth Cusi on First-in-class AMP-Kinase Activator, PXL770, in NASH and Jean-François Dufour on Treatment Pipeline for NASH
Donna R. Cryer, Founder, President and CEO of the GLI, emphasises the importance of this year’s theme for patients living with, and for the physicians treating, NASH:
“We chose the theme ‘Stop NASH Now’ with our partners because NASH is a progressive disease and it’s important that people know that there are things that they could do right now to be able to stop that progression.”
I think in many ways we have been waiting for an FDA approved drug for a specific NASH indication and everything feeling like it’s on hold until we get that approval… but that’s not the case and we wanted to emphasise that.”
In support of these goals, GLI are hosting a series of online education panels on 9 June, covering a range of topics that include the challenges of NASH in 2022, leading models of care, NASH diagnostics and what’s needed next to combat the prevalence of NASH.
You can register for the 5th Annual International NASH Day virtual panels now.
touchENDOCRINOLOGY supports International NASH Day and its campaign message that we can ‘Stop NASH Now’. Explore our library of video interviews, conference highlights, journal articles, and clinical trial updates.
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