Health-related Quality of Life in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Associates With Hepatic Inflammation

Improvement of non‐invasive markers of NAFLD from an individualised, web‐based exercise program

“…Strikingly, we also observed an improvement in HRQL. In a recent analysis we showed that (lobular) hepatic inflammation is an independent negative regulator of HRQL in NASH and thus this further supports the concept, that decreasing liver inflammation—herein related to physical exercise—leads to a beneficial hepatic and extrahepatic measures in NAFLD.…”

“…Secondary outcome measures included changes in metabolic parameters, liver function tests and markers of hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. Assessment included health‐related quality of life (HRQL) using the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ), vibration‐controlled transient elastography as well as metabolic and liver parameters at SoT, EoT, and EoF.…”

Issue Highlights

“…Health-related Quality of Life in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Associates With Hepatic Inflammation P atients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) frequently experience non-specific symptoms, such as fatigue, that influence their quality of life but may be underreported. 12 In this issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Huber and colleagues 13 evaluated factors that affect the health-related quality of life of 304 patients from the European NAFLD Registry. Female sex, older age, higher BMI, type 2 diabetes, and lobular inflammation on liver biopsy were all independently associated with lower quality of life scores ( Table 1).…”

PROs of Patient-reported Outcomes for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Effects on Treatment for Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis

“…Studies like that of Huber et al 7 provide insight into potentially modifiable factors associated with decrements in HRQoL among patients with NAFLD. Type 2 diabetes and obesity are 2 such factors.…”

“…Huber et al 7 applied the CLDQ to identify factors that adversely influence HRQoL among 304 patients with biopsy proven NAFLD. The study population was recruited from the United Kingdom (n ¼ 154), Germany (n ¼ 133), and Spain (n ¼ 17); 53% were men, median age was 54 years, and body mass index was 33 kg/m 2 ; 15% had cirrhosis, and 27% had advanced fibrosis.…”