liver Archives - Inspire Corporate

Familial Amyloidosis: “So Rare You’ll Never See Anyone With It”
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Familial Amyloidosis: “So Rare You’ll Never See Anyone With It”

Familial Amyloidosis: "So Rare You’ll Never See Anyone With It" By Kathleen Hoffman, PhD, MSPH Until recently, the only treatments for a rare disease called familial amyloidosis were symptom management or a liver transplant. Not only is the disease inherited, genetic, and rare, its incidence varies widely by region: The NIH says it occurs in about 1 in 583 people in some parts of Portugal, compared to about 1 in 100,000 people in the US. Inspire members say that the path to diagnosis and treatment is long and convoluted: I was diagnosed with familial TTR Amyloidosis about [...]

The Race to Rescue Livers: Finding Treatments for NASH

The Race to Rescue Livers: Finding Treatments for NASH By Kathleen Hoffman, PhD, MSPH There is a race to develop drugs to treat non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, commonly called NASH. NASH, an aggressive form of liver disease causing inflammation and scarring, already affects 3-12% of the entire US population.1,2 What’s the incentive? There’s currently no approved treatment, and it can be fatal.3 The current standard of care is lifestyle changes. NASH is a more serious form of NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) and can result in cirrhosis.4 Related to obesity and diabetes, but not to alcohol consumption, NAFLD already [...]

Video Vignettes: Through Their Own Eyes: Hepatitis C Virus Liver Disease

Video Vignettes: Through Their Own Eyes: Hepatitis C Virus Liver Disease October is Liver Awareness Month. Today, Inspire is sharing information about the Hepatitis C virus and its impact on the liver. Roughly 3 to 4 million people in the US have the hepatitis C virus (HCV).1 Yet progression and outcomes vary. Of 100 people who are infected by HCV, between 15 and 25 will be cured of the disease by their own immune systems. Unfortunately, between 75 and 85 people will develop a chronic infection. Scar tissue in the liver, called cirrhosis or stage IV liver fibrosis [...]