FAQ from patients with fatty liver disease. Life quality, prognosis, alcohol use. 15

FAQ from patients with fatty liver disease. Life quality, prognosis, alcohol use. 15

Can we help?

Dr. Anton Titov, MD.: Professor Friedman, with your vast experience in liver disease research and treatment. Dr. Anton Titov, MD.: What are the questions that patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis should ask but perhaps are not asking that much? And what are the top questions that patients with chronic liver diseases do ask? Well, I think the main question every patient wants to know is will this change my life? Will this make me sick? Will this shorten my lifespan? Will I need a liver transplant? [in some more advanced patients]. So I think that's certainly the question that every liver doctor who sees a patient with liver disease may be confronting. Dr. Scott Friedman, MD.: But I think the other questions also are, you know, something we can imagine? Dr. Anton Titov, MD.: What about my diet? Dr. Anton Titov, MD.: What about my family? You know, where do I go with more questions? I think those are the kinds of questions we can anticipate. You know, there are lots of resources. The American Liver Foundation has great information for liver patients. You can go to their website, as ALF now is increasingly reaching out to patients. There are a number of resources that patients will seek from the internet to gain more information. Patients should certainly come to their doctor armed with those questions. Dr. Scott Friedman, MD.: But I think you know. They're sometimes. The answers are easy. We can reassure a patient. Sometimes the answers are unknown. And sometimes the answers are hard, meaning we have to tell patients even though they have no symptoms, they have advanced liver disease. And we need to pay attention very soon. Are there any questions that patients perhaps do not ask as often as they should? I don't know. Patients are us, you know.