A recent pilot study found that early screening for chronic liver disease can lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment. The study was conducted by Brown researchers in collaboration with Clínica Esperanza, a health clinic that provides health care to uninsured Rhode Islanders.
The study screened 14 patients who were unaware of their liver conditions prior to the screenings. Using FirboScan — a non-invasive liver scanning method — researchers identified three with fibrosis, or liver scarring, and eight with steatotic liver disease, or excess fat in the liver.
Around 40% of American adults are at risk for or have been diagnosed with steatotic liver disease, according to Paige McLean Diaz, a transplant hepatologist at Brown University Health, who was not involved with the study…