by HIrotaka Yamamoto  , Maiko Kisino  , Shunichi Nakamura  and Kastutoshi Tokushige

Received: 12 November 2018;  Published: 27 December 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.hg.1804012

Objective: Elastography is a non-invasive examination method that can estimate the extent of liver fibrosis, measured as liver stiffness (LS). We examined the relationship between gastro-esophageal varices and the LS and how to predict esophageal varices and varices bleeding by LS. Methods: From 2014 to 2016, we conducted a retrospective study of 138 subjects, all of whom were patients with chronic liver disease, including NAFLD, alcoholic liver disease, primary biliary cholangitis, viral hepati [...]

by Atsushi Naganuma  , Satoru Kakizaki  , Takashi Hoshino  , Toshiyuki Tanaka  , Tetsushi Ogawa  , Shuya Sawada  , Satomi Adachi  , Yusuke Ogawa  , Toyoshi Sasaki  , Ken Sato  , Hitoshi Takagi  and Toshio Uraoka

Received: 25 September 2018;  Published: 26 December 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.hg.1804011

Background: Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) are nutrients with a bitter taste, which causes low compliance in patients who need BCAA supplementation. Moreover, chronic liver disease is frequently complicated by taste impairment. The present study was designed to improve patient noncompliance regarding nutrients in liver disease. Methods: A taste questionnaire was administered to healthy controls, chronic hepatitis patients, and cirrhotic patients. Eleven different flavored powders that can be [...]