Liver Fibrosis
Who is at Risk for Developing Liver Fibrosis?
Risk factors for developing liver fibrosis are as follows:
- Chronic infection with hepatitis B or C virus
- Gender (fibrosis occurs more rapidly in men than in women)
- Age (people over 50)
- Compromised immune system (due to coinfection with HIV or use of immunosuppressive drugs after a liver transplant)
- Heavy alcohol consumption
- Fatty liver (steatosis)
- Insulin resistance (the condition in which the cells of the body become resistant to the effects of insulin, that is, the normal response to a given amount of insulin is reduced. As a result, higher levels of insulin are needed in order for insulin to have its effects)
References
HCVadvocate.org “Disease Progression: What is Fibrosis? http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/factsheets_pdf/Fibrosis.pdf Retrieved March 28, 2011
HIVandHepatitis.com “Non-Invasive Ways to Assess Liver Disease: Studies Test Alternatives to Liver Biopsy”http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hep_c/news/2008/020508_b.html/ Retrieved March 28, 2011
Home Health Guide “Liver Fibrosis” http://medicallywiseinfo.com/2010/757/liver-fibrosis.html/ Retrieved March 28, 2011
Mayo Clinic “Mayo Clinic Innovation Aids in Diagnosing Hepatic Fibrosis” http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2009-sct/5160.html/ Retrieved March 28, 2011
National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse NDDIC “Chronic Hepatitis C: Current Disease Management – Liver Biopsy” http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/chronichepc/ Retrieved March 28, 2011
PubMed.gov “Liver Fibrosis” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15690074/ Retrieved March 28, 2011