Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a metabolic disorder related to insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, has become a public health concern. Currently, the principal therapeutic modalities targeting NAFLD are lifestyle interventions. However, the efficacy of long-term lifestyle interventions in managing NAFLD remains largely unexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of long-term lifestyle interventions in middle-aged and elderly men with NAFLD. All 280 eligible patients were randomized to the control or test group. Patients in the test group received counseling on diet and exercise from 2 physicians every 3 months via a phone call. Patients in the control group received only counseling in annual checkups without regular intervention. After the 2-year periodic intervention, body weight, abdominal circumference, ALT, TCH, LDL-C and HDL-C decreased in the test group. Specifically, the fatty liver index (FLI) and NAFLD-fibrosis score (NAFLD-FS) reduced markedly in the test group. However, in the control group, there was only a significant decrease in LDL-C, HDL-C and NAFLD-FS (P < 0.001). The liver steatosis grade of the test group decreased significantly, while it increased in the control group. In NAFLD, long-term lifestyle interventions exert an anti-obesity effect and attenuate liver dysfunction and steatosis.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common disease, which is characterized by the accumulation of triglycerides in the hepatocytes without excess alcohol intake. Circadian rhythms can participate in lipid, glucose, and cholesterol metabolism and are closely related to metabolism seen in this disease. Circadian clock genes can modulate liver lipid metabolism. Desynchrony of circadian rhythms and the influences imparted by external environmental stimuli can increase morbidity. By contrast, synchronizing circadian rhythms can help to alleviate the metabolic disturbance seen in NAFLD. In this review, we have discussed the current research connections that exist between the circadian clock and the metabolism of NAFLD, and we have specifically focused on the key circadian clock genes, Bmal1, Clock, Rev-Erbs, Rors, Pers, Crys, Nocturnin, and DECs.
BackgroundThe objective of this study was to investigate whether the 13C-phenylalanine breath test could be useful for the evaluation of hepatic function in elderly volunteers and patients with chronic hepatitis B and liver cirrhosis.MethodsL-[1-13C] phenylalanine was administered orally at a dose of 100 mg to 55 elderly patients with liver cirrhosis, 30 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 38 elderly healthy subjects. The breath test was performed at 8 different time points (0, 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 min) to obtain the values of Delta over baseline, percentage 13CO2 exhalation rate and cumulative excretion (Cum). The relationships of the cumulative excretion with the 13C-%dose/h and blood biochemical parameters were investigated.ResultsThe 13C-%dose/h at 20 min and 30 min combined with the cumulative excretion at 60 min and 120 min correlated with hepatic function tests, serum albumin, hemoglobin, platelet and Child-Pugh score. Prothrombin time, total and direct bilirubin were significantly increased, while serum albumin, hemoglobin and platelet, the cumulative excretion at 60 min and 120 min values decreased by degrees of intensity of the disease in Child-Pugh A, B, and C patients (P < 0.01).ConclusionsThe 13C-phenylalanine breath test can be used as a non-invasive assay to evaluate hepatic function in elderly patients with liver cirrhosis. The 13C-%dose/h at 20 min, at 30 min and cumulative excretion at 60 min may be the key value for determination at a single time-point. 13C-phenylalanine breath test is safe and helpful in distinguishing different stages of hepatic dysfunction for elderly cirrhosis patients.
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