A scientific publication by Sumeet Asrani, MD, has been selected by the editors of Gastroenterology as one of two clinical articles to highlight in the August issue and the corresponding issue of GI & Hepatology News, the official newspaper of the American Gastroenterological Association Institute.
The paper, “Underestimation of Liver-Related Mortality in the United States,” is summarized in the newspaper and accompanied by a video abstract online.
“The main message of the paper,” Dr. Asrani said, “is that liver disease is common and liver-related mortality is underestimated. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2008 there were approximately 29,000 liver-related deaths. But by our estimates there were actually 66,000 deaths. Between 1979 and 2008, instead of a reduction in liver-related mortality (38 percent), mortality was instead unchanged.”
Dr. Asrani added that an important reason for the increased deaths is an increase in viral hepatitis and liver cancers.
“Liver disease is the third- or fourth-leading cause of death among people age 45 to 64, and it is especially underestimated in minorities,” he said. “So while there is continued and appropriate emphasis on other chronic conditions such as heart disease in the community, being aware of the consequences of liver disease is also important.”
Dr. Asrani is a researcher for Baylor Research Institute and a Hepatology specialist at Liver Consultants of Texas at Dallas, a Baylor-Health Texas affiliate.
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Kristine Hughes
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