Older Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Are Less Knowledgeable About Survivorship Issues: Outcomes from a Survey-based Study.

Background And Aims: As the incidence and survival for hepatocellular carcinoma increase, the number of patients having been treated for liver cancer would be expected to increase as well. Little is known about the experience of the survivors of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Methods: The authors conducted a 3-tool survey of hepatocellular carcinoma survivors at a large, academic, and tertiary referral medical center to assess potential areas of disparities in the survivorship experience.

Long-term outcomes with oral therapy in liver transplant recipients with hepatitis B.

Background: The long-term impact of oral hepatitis B antiviral therapy in liver transplant (LT) recipients is currently underexplored. The objective of this study was to evaluate how oral antiviral agents impact long-term renal function in this population.

Methods: We studied 79 patients who received a LT for hepatitis B and were placed on all-oral antiviral therapy after withdrawing from hepatitis B immune globulin therapy at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Patient Satisfaction and Healthcare Utilization Using Telemedicine in Liver Transplant Recipients.

Background: Post-liver transplantation care is limited to tertiary care centers. Concentration at expert centers leads to high-volume clinics with long wait times and decreased accessibility.

Aim: To assess whether telemedicine can be utilized to overcome barriers to care while sustaining strong patient-physician relationships.

Pretransplant Sarcopenia in Patients With NASH Cirrhosis Does Not Impact Rehospitalization or Mortality.

Background: Malnutrition and muscle wasting are common in patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD), yet go underdiagnosed. Frequently used indices of nutritional status, such as body mass index, are inflated in patients with ESLD due to a fluid overloaded state. Previous work has demonstrated a strong association between psoas muscle area, a surrogate for sarcopenia, and worse survival following liver transplantation; however, the impact of sarcopenia on post liver transplant outcomes in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) cirrhosis has not been evaluated.

Clinical Food Addiction Is Not Associated with Development of Metabolic Complications in Liver Transplant Recipients.

Given the increased risk of post-transplant metabolic syndrome (PTMS; defined by hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia), we aimed to identify the potential role of food addiction in the development of metabolic complications in the post-liver transplant population. Inclusion criteria included adult liver transplant recipients followed at our institution between June 2016 and November 2016. Participants were administered a demographic survey as well as the Yale Food Assessment Scale 2.

Hepatitis C Virus Prevalence in Egyptian Americans in Southern California.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a global medical health concern. Egypt has the highest HCV prevalence. Few studies have assessed the HCV prevalence rates among Egyptian-born expatriates.

Treatment of primary biliary cholangitis ursodeoxycholic acid non-responders: A systematic review.

Background: Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), formerly known as primary biliary cirrhosis, is a chronic cholestatic liver disease characterized by an immune mediated destruction of intrahepatic bile ducts. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) has been the primary medication for the treatment of PBC, resulting in improved liver tests, resolution of symptoms and increased transplant free survival. However, not all patients respond to UDCA.

Limited Knowledge of Acetaminophen in Patients with Liver Disease.

Unintentional acetaminophen overdose remains the leading cause of acute liver failure in the United States. Patients with underlying liver disease are at higher risk of poor outcomes from acetaminophen overdose. Limited knowledge of acetaminophen may be a preventable contributor to elevated rates of overdose and thus acute liver failure.

Age-related Morbidity and Mortality After Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunts.

Aim: To compare age-related morbidity and mortality after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS).

Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of patients who underwent TIPS at the University of California Los Angeles Medical Center between 2008 to 2014. Elderly patients (65 y and older) were matched with nonelderly patients (controls, below 65 y) by model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score (±3), indication for TIPS (refractory ascites vs.