http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. If you were born during 1945-1965, talk to your doctor about getting tested for hepatitis C. The word "hepatitis" means swelling of the liver. Hepatitis is most often caused by a virus. In the United States, the most common type of viral hepatitis is hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is primarily spread through contact with blood from an infected person. More than 15,000 Americans, most of them baby boomers, die each year from hepatitis C-related illness. Deaths related to hepatitis C have been on the rise and are expected to increase. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-hepatitis-screening-baby-boomers.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:31:39 EST news286446690 A study published in Liver Transplantation, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the International Liver Transplantation Society, reports that donor mortality is about 1 in 500 donors with living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Research of transplant centers around the world found that those with more experience conducting live donor procedures had lower rates of aborted surgery and life-threatening "near-miss" events. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-liver-donors-life-threatening-near-miss-events.html Other Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:15:49 EST news286114543 Good news for anyone needing a transplant; a new Mayo Clinic survey shows that the public's support for both living and deceased organ donation is increasing. Eighty-four percent of respondents said they would be very or somewhat likely to consider donating a kidney or a portion of their liver to a close friend or family member in need, and an astounding 49 percent said they would be very or somewhat likely to consider donating a kidney to someone they have never met, which is often referred to as altruistic or "Good Samaritan" kidney donation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-poll-americans-donating-kidney-stranger.html Other Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:54:37 EST news285497669 Patients faced with the diagnosis of a life-threatening liver disease have to consider the seriousness of having a liver transplant, which can be a definitive cure for many acquired and genetic liver diseases. Among the main considerations are the anxiety of waiting for a donor organ, the risks associated with the transplant operation, and the chance that the transplant procedure will not achieve the desired result. There is also the six-figure cost of the procedure and accompanying patient care, all of which may not be completely covered by health insurance. But, according to a study appearing in the April issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, researchers at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California–Los Angeles (UCLA), found that liver transplants are worth the risk for people who have genetic liver conditions. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-liver-transplantation-patients-genetic-conditions.html Surgery Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:01:52 EST news284392900 Liver transplantation for hepatoblastoma, the most common liver malignancy in children, is on the rise because more tumors are being detected earlier, improving outcomes for these sick patients, according to a Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-liver-transplantation-hepatoblastoma.html Surgery Tue, 05 Mar 2013 08:44:26 EST news281695400 Researchers from Italy have found that the antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), when injected prior to harvesting of the liver, significantly improves graft survival following transplantation. Results published in the February issue of Liver Transplantation, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), suggest that the NAC effect on early graft function and survival is higher when suboptimal organs are used. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-antioxidant-donated-liver-survival-percent.html Other Mon, 25 Feb 2013 12:39:18 EST news281018346 The number of deaths and liver transplants due to paracetamol overdoses has significantly reduced thanks to UK legislation to make pack sizes smaller, a paper published today in BMJ suggests. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-percent-reduction-deaths-paracetamol-due.html Medications Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:30:02 EST news279472443 Just 20 percent of people infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) begin the recommended treatment regimen and less than 5 percent go on to successfully overcome the virus, according to a new review in General Hospital Psychiatry. This is despite the availability of highly effective anti-viral drugs that clear hepatitis C virus in about 80 percent of patients participating in clinical trials. Major barriers to recommended care are substance abuse and depression in HCV patients. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-people-hepatitis-untreated-effective-drugs.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 10 Dec 2012 08:40:01 EST news274349852 (HealthDay)—A U.S. task force suggests that people at high risk for the hepatitis C virus should be screened, which includes those with a history of intravenous drug use and those who received blood transfusions before 1992. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-task-baby-boomers-hepatitis.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 26 Nov 2012 19:30:01 EST news273173066 (Medical Xpress)—Older adults are asking more questions about liver health now that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has formally called for baby boomers to get tested for Hepatitis C, says Dr. Luis Balart, chief of gastroenterology and hepatology at Tulane Medical Center. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-hepatitis-baby-boomers.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 24 Sep 2012 08:06:04 EST news267692753 (AP)—Seven scientists have won prestigious medical awards for development of liver transplantation, discoveries about the inner workings of cells, and leadership in biomedical science. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-scientists-prestigious-lasker-medical-awards.html Medical research Mon, 10 Sep 2012 08:19:44 EST news266483967 Patients in Japan who underwent living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) for acute liver failure (ALF) were classified as having excellent outcomes, with ten-year survival at 73%. The findings, published in the September issue of Liver Transplantation, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), suggest that the type of liver disease or treatment plan does not affect long-term patient survival following LDLT. Donor and patient age, however, does impact long-term outcome post-transplant. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-survival-excellent-donor-liver-transplantation.html Other Thu, 06 Sep 2012 11:53:30 EST news266151129 Transplant recipients who smoke or have smoked increase their risk of viral hepatitis reinfection following liver transplantation according to new research available in the July issue of Liver Transplantation, a journal published by Wiley on behalf of American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. Findings suggest that tobacco in cigarettes may adversely affect immune system response in patients transplanted for viral hepatitis. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-current-smokers-recurrent-hepatitis-post-liver.html Other Thu, 12 Jul 2012 11:18:43 EST news261310714 (Medical Xpress) -- A Johns Hopkins Children’s Center study of patients who received liver transplants from living donors has found that better outcomes need not come with a heftier price tag. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-outcomes-pediatric-liver-transplants-dont.html Other Tue, 10 Jul 2012 06:54:25 EST news261122060 Scientists have discovered a 'switch' in the Hepatitis C virus which could be used as a target for new kinds of drug treatment. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-hepatitis-drug.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 31 May 2012 10:56:15 EST news257680568 (HealthDay) -- The number of liver transplants in the United States has decreased since 2006, a new study finds. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-liver-transplants-declining.html Other Tue, 22 May 2012 14:00:01 EST news256911359 (AP) -- For the first time, health officials are proposing that all baby boomers get tested for hepatitis C. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-cdc-baby-boomers-hepatitis.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Fri, 18 May 2012 13:48:48 EST news256567717 The number of baby boomers dying from a "silent epidemic" of hepatitis C infections is increasing so rapidly that federal officials are planning a new nationwide push for widespread testing. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-hepatitis-baby-boomers.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 02 May 2012 09:00:01 EST news255163999 Researchers from the Mayo Clinic confirm that ultrasound-based transient elastography (TE) provides excellent diagnostic accuracy for detecting cirrhosis due to recurrent infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection following liver transplantation. Findings from the study published in the March issue of Liver Transplantation, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, suggest that detection of significant fibrosis is more accurate when comparing patients with chronic HCV of the native liver. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-ultrasound-technology-accurate-cirrhosis-recurrent.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 29 Feb 2012 10:15:57 EST news249732951 (AP) -- Deaths from liver-destroying hepatitis C are on the rise, and new data shows baby boomers especially should take heed - they are most at risk. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-hepatitis-deaths-baby-boomers.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:21:57 EST news248984507 There is an urgent need to increase the number of organ donors from black and minority ethnic (BME) groups in countries with a strong tradition of immigration, such as the UK, USA, Canada and the Netherlands, in order to tackle inequalities in access and waiting times. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-highlights-urgent-tackle-donors-bme.html Other Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:32:45 EST news248524358 In a small room at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Megan and Ricky Gonzales each held one hand of their daughter Sophia, comforting her as she recovered from a Nov. 8 liver transplant. Near Sophia’s crib, her identical twin, Charlotte, babbled happily in the girls’ double stroller. Charlotte was waiting her turn — which came Nov. 27 — for her own liver transplant to treat the metabolic disease that nearly killed both girls as newborns. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-transplants-twins-livers-rare-disease.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:40:01 EST news245319993 A team led by Dr. Alan Hemming, transplant surgeon at UC San Diego Health System, has successfully performed the West Coast's first ex-vivo liver resection, a radical procedure to completely remove and reconstruct a diseased liver and re-implant it without any tumors. The procedure saved the life of a 27-year-old mother whose liver had been invaded by a painful tumor that crushed the organ and entangled its blood supply. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-radical-surgery-life-young-mom.html Surgery Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:33:49 EST news245068420 Desperately needed adult living donor liver transplantation is a safe surgery for the donor, according to researchers at Henry Ford Hospital. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-adult-donor-liver-transplants-safe.html Other Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:17:59 EST news239980673 Patients who have received a solid organ transplant, such as kidney, liver, heart or lung, have an overall cancer risk that is double that of the general population, with an increased risk for many different types of malignancies, according to a study in the November 2 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-recipients-transplants-broad-range-cancers.html Cancer Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:26:55 EST news239383608 Transplantation specialists have proposed changes to the allocation and distribution of organs used for liver transplants. The recommended policy modifications take into account the scarcity of available organs, ensuring rapid allocation and delivery of the organ to those most in need in order to reduce mortality for waitlisted patients. Details of the proposed model are available in the September issue of Liver Transplantation, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-livers-transplant.html Other Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:54:18 EST news234784431 A small, retrospective study determined that percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was safe in patients with significant coronary artery disease (CAD) who were referred for liver transplantation. Larger studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of angioplasty in patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD). Details of the study are available in the July issue of Liver Transplantation, published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-angioplasty-feasible-liver-transplantation-candidates.html Cardiology Wed, 22 Jun 2011 09:33:51 EST news227954020 Johns Hopkins researchers have demonstrated that human liver cells derived from adult cells coaxed into an embryonic state can engraft and begin regenerating liver tissue in mice with chronic liver damage. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-adult-stem-cells-root-livers.html Medical research Wed, 11 May 2011 14:00:07 EST news224338920