Scientists find a new way to detect silent liver disease

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Liver disease is a serious health problem that affects millions of people worldwide. Often, it develops quietly without showing any symptoms until it’s too late.

That’s why finding it early is so crucial. A new tool called the Chronic Liver Disease (CLivD) score is showing great promise in tackling this challenge.

Recently, a group of scientists in the United States conducted a study to test how well the CLivD score can spot early liver disease and more serious liver problems, known as advanced fibrosis.

They also wanted to see if combining the CLivD score with another test called the fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score would be even more effective.

The results of their study were quite impressive. They found that higher CLivD scores were linked to the presence of early liver disease and advanced fibrosis.

One of the most interesting findings was that when they used the CLivD score first and then the FIB-4 score, they were able to identify a group of people who had a 55% chance of having advanced fibrosis. This was a much higher rate than when they used the FIB-4 score alone.

What’s equally important is that almost half of the people in the study had low CLivD scores. This meant they had a small chance of having advanced fibrosis, so they didn’t need more tests.

This shows that the CLivD score can be a helpful tool for doctors. It can help them figure out who really needs further testing and who doesn’t, saving time and resources.

The CLivD score uses simple information like age, gender, and lifestyle factors to calculate the risk of liver disease. This makes it a practical first step in identifying people who might be at risk.

By sorting people into different risk groups, the CLivD score helps doctors focus on those who need more attention for liver problems.

This study is a big step forward in our fight against liver disease. Using the CLivD score in regular health check-ups could help catch liver problems early, before they become serious.

This could mean better health and outcomes for many people who might otherwise suffer from late-stage liver disease.

Even though the researchers think more studies are needed to confirm these findings in different groups of people and in different places, the CLivD score is already showing great potential.

It could change the way we detect liver disease early, helping to tackle this silent and often overlooked health issue.

This exciting research was published in the journal eGastroenterology and offers hope for better strategies to prevent the devastating effects of liver disease, a condition that can sneak up on people without warning.

By spotting the problem early, we have a better chance of treating it effectively, improving the health and lives of millions of people worldwide.

The research findings can be found in eGastroenterology.

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