Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) has become one the most common causes of chronic liver disease in the United States and other countries, affecting nearly a quarter of the general population, particularly the obese and diabetic . NAFLD ranges from simple steatosis (fat accumulation) to Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), which is associated with liver fibrosis and cirrhosis that may lead to liver failure. NAFLD is a major risk factor for liver cancer.
Patients with NAFLD are reported to have an excess mortality risk of 34% over the general population after a mean follow-up of 7.6 years and 55% with a 10-year follow-up*. Currently, a liver biopsy is the only way to diagnose NASH and discriminate it from unharmful fatty liver. Serum markers and imaging tests have not yet proven very reliable. The need for a non-invasive test for the ongoing management of this condition remains unmet.
BreathID has proven valuable in improving patient management, using its non-invasive breath test. BreathID`s advantages include:
- 89% agreement with biopsy in detecting NASH in NAFLD patients**.
- Test can be performed in any setting.
- Results are immediate.
* Adams et. Al, Gastroenterology. 2005 Jul;129(1):113-21
** Braun et al., The Innovative Real Time BreathID® Test System Diagnoses and Predicts the Extent of hepatic Injury in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Liver Disease, Presented at DDW 2006