NAFLD & NASH Flashcards
malnutrition can’t cause chronic liver disease. True or false
true, malnutrition alone can cause severe fatty liver but it isn’t known to cause chronic liver disease
which tool is used for screening of malnutrition in patients with NAFLD/NASH
NRS 2002
what do the questions of the NRS screening tool address?
- BMI
- weight loss
- nutritional intake
- comorbidities (illness)
what are the 2 main screening sections of the NRS 2002
- nutritional disorder
- illness severity
how can sarcopenia be assessed?
using Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) or CT imaging
which patients will be screened for sarcopenia?
mostly patients with cirrhosis, liver cancer, planned for liver transplant
patients with NAFLD or NASH are screened for sarcopenia. True or false
False, only those with severe cirrhosis, liver cancer, need for livre transplant
what is the first line treatment for overweight/obese NAFL/NASH patients
lifestyle interventions leading to weight loss in conjunction with physical activity
what are the benefits of losing 7-10% of the weight in overweight/obese NAFL/NASH patients
it will improve steatosis and liver biochemistry [irrespective of how weight loss is achieved]
what are the benefits of losing >10% of the weight in overweight/obese NAFL/NASH patients
improve fibrosis
what does the ESPEN guideline regarding weight loss suggest
a hypocaloric diet should be followed according to current obesity guidelines irrespective of the macronutrient composition [large range of CHO and fat during weight loss as long as diet provides high content of protein] => people have to adhere to diet to then continue with it and maintain weight loss
what kind of evidence is there for the diet and exercise, lifestyle intervention recommendation
STRONG evidence coming from observational and experimental studies showing positive effects on liver outcomes
to see significant effect on NASH resolution and fibrosis regression, how much weight loss should be achieved?
7-10%
what are the 4 As in the Canadian adult obesity clinical practice guideline that must be followed
- ask
- assess
- agree
- assist
when dealing with patients that have NAFL and NASH which type of diet or dietary pattern do we usually recommend?
mediterranean diet
when dealing with patients that have NAFL and NASH what type of intervention do we implement
INTENSIVE lifestyle intervention with a MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM
what are the key messages regarding the obesity guidelines for NAFL/NASH
- weight should NOT be the endpoint, we want to focus on health improvement => liver enzymes and other cardio metabolic markers, steatosis, fibrosis
- education
- best diet is one that is SUSTAINABLE
what are the benefits of a high protein diet during weight loss
- greater reduction in body weight, fat mass, and serum TG
- less reduction in lean mass and REE
what is the best diet for weight maintenant after weight loss
high protein + low GI foods
what are the Canadian physical activity guidelines
general, not specific to NASH/NAFL
- 150min of moderate-vigorous aerobic PA per week
- muscle and bone strengthening 2days/week
what are the benefits of aerobic PA (30-60min of moderate-vigorous intensity on most days)
- achieve reduction in abdominal visceral fat and ectopic fat such as LIVEr and heart fat
the Mediterranean diet is high in which nutrients? and low in which nutrients?
- high in: MUFA, omega-3/6, polyphenols, dietary fibre, plant proteins
- low in: saturated/trans fats, animal protein, simple sugars
what is one food in the mediterranean diet that could not be dissociated from whole diet? why?
olive oil, because it provides oleic/MUFA and antioxidants that are beneficial in NAFL and NASH
is a low CHO diet recommended for NASH/NAFL? why or why not?
No because there is much less evidence, with much smaller sample size, alot of neutral evidence
Vitamin E supplementation is recommended for which population
to non-diabetic adults with histologically confirmed NASH
what is the recommended supplement content of vitamin E
800 IU of alpha-tocopherol daily
although omega-3 FA supplementation seems to have a positive effect on liver outcomes, why isn’t it a strong recommendation?
no optimal dose was determined
what source of omega-3 FA is recommended for NASH/NAFL
dietary omega-3
what are the observed positive effects of 3-4cups of coffee per day
positive outcome on fibrosis, steatosis, liver dimension, bright liver
how does fructose affect NAFLD
excess fructose will lead to de novo lipogenesis in liver + alter the gut microbiome increasing permeability of intestine and causing more inflammation leading to aggravation of NAFL to NASH
recommendation of alcohol in NASH/NAFL
ABSTAIN
-> strong robust recommendation
is taking pre/probiotics recommended by ESPEN?
yes, although there is no strong evidence as there are no side effects and some positive benefits have been observed (decrease in liver enzymes, decrease in intrahepatic TG, decreased inflammation)
is taking antioxidants recommended by ESPEN?
No due to lack of data
what treatment has the strongest benefits in NASH patients
weight loss
a _____ treatment strategy is necessary for treating NAFL and NASH
multimodal
what are the major liver functions (8)
- bile formation
- metabolism of drugs
- CHO metabolism
- lipids and lipoproteins production
- amino acids metabolism
- protein production and secretion
- metabolism of iron, copper, and trace elements
- haem biosynthesis
what is the functional unit of the liver
acinus
what makes up the portal triad
the portal vein, arteriole and bile ductule