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MASLD AI 06:42 AM
July, 2025
Join Lindsay Pratt, PA-C, from the University of Colorado School of Medicine’s Hepatology and Liver Transplant Department, as she unpacks the challenges of interpreting discordant results between non-invasive liver testing tools such as FIB-4 and FibroScan in patients with MASLD and MASH. With over 15 years of clinical experience, Lindsay walks viewers through how age, transaminase levels, platelet count, and patient factors like BMI and fasting status can impact test accuracy and reliability. She emphasizes when to consider advanced diagnostics like MRI elastography (MRE) or liver biopsy, and how to tailor decisions to the individual patient, especially when results don't align. This practical session is ideal for hepatology and GI providers navigating complex liver disease management, and includes tips for communicating test limitations and next steps with patients. Learn how to make informed decisions using non-invasive tests while maintaining patient-centered care in the management of fatty liver disease.
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Differentiating Between F3 and F4
July, 2025
In this comprehensive discussion, HoChong Gilles, a nurse practitioner with 25 years of hepatology experience at the Richmond VA Medical Center, explores the critical importance of accurately distinguishing between F3 (advanced fibrosis) and F4 (cirrhosis) in patients with MASH (metabolic-associated steatohepatitis). While both stages carry increased risks of liver-specific and overall mortality, Gilles explains that F3 may still be reversible with lifestyle changes or pharmacotherapy, whereas F4 signals irreversible liver damage with heightened risk of complications like portal hypertension, hepatic encephalopathy, and liver cancer. Viewers will gain a deeper understanding of how non-invasive tests—like FIB-4, ELF, FibroScan, and MRE—perform in identifying fibrosis stage, including their limitations and overlaps. Gilles also outlines when to consider liver biopsy, especially in cases with discordant test results, atypical features, or clinical uncertainty. This video emphasizes how staging accuracy informs eligibility for therapies, surveillance strategies like HCC screening, and overall prognosis. Learn how to approach this nuanced distinction in clinical practice and why F3 vs. F4 isn't just semantics—it's a turning point in patient care.
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Podcast: Role of Exercise in Liver Health
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In this engaging episode of the GHAPP MASLD/MASH Community Network podcast, Jonathan Yeh, PA at Columbia University Medical Center, discusses the essential role of exercise in liver health—especially in managing MASLD (Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatotic Liver Disease) and MASH (Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatohepatitis). With over 14 years of hepatology experience, Jonathan breaks down the most effective types of physical activity, highlighting the benefits of combining aerobic and resistance training over high-intensity interval training (HIIT) alone. He provides practical, personalized exercise recommendations tailored to patients’ physical abilities, access to resources, and comorbidities—including suggestions for those with mobility limitations or time constraints. Jonathan also offers motivational strategies to help patients overcome common barriers such as lack of time, motivation, or access to fitness facilities. From parking farther from a destination to lunchtime walks and home-based workouts using resistance bands, he emphasizes creative and realistic ways to build physical activity into daily routines. Beyond weight loss, he explains how exercise directly improves liver function by reducing liver fat, enhancing insulin sensitivity, and preventing fat and sugar buildup in the liver. This episode is a must-watch for clinicians and patients alike seeking to understand and implement exercise as a cornerstone in the management of fatty liver disease.
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Thank you to Madrigal for sponsoring this episode of GHAPPcast. In this episode of GHAPPcast, nurse practitioners Patrick Horne and April Morris from discuss the complexities of identifying and managing patients with metabolic-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). They explore clinical approaches, including the use of bloodwork, family history, and advanced diagnostic tools such as FibroScan, to recognize patients at risk. Patrick and April emphasize the importance of lifestyle interventions like diet and exercise alongside new medical therapies, while also offering practical tips for clinicians on patient monitoring and treatment management. Tune in for valuable insights into managing MASH in clinical practice.
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Podcast: Alcohol and MASLD/MASH: Navigating the Complex Relationship
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In this powerful and highly educational episode, Scott Springer, PA-C at Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, NY, explores the complex and often overlooked relationship between alcohol use and metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD/MASH). Drawing from his dual expertise in hepatology and addiction medicine, Scott outlines the importance of accurately assessing alcohol use when diagnosing MASLD, MASH, MetALD, or ALD—emphasizing that MASLD and MASH are diagnoses of exclusion and heavily influenced by alcohol consumption thresholds. He discusses best practices for screening, including patient-centered, nonjudgmental interviewing, the use of biomarkers like PEth and urine ethyl glucuronide, and how these tools enhance accuracy and accountability in care. Scott reviews national guidelines that recommend alcohol abstinence for patients with chronic liver disease and presents data showing how even small reductions in alcohol use can significantly lower the risk of cirrhosis. He also unpacks the challenges of interpreting liver tests in patients with ongoing alcohol use, the limitations of non-invasive testing like FibroScan and FIB-4, and how alcohol may disqualify patients from emerging pharmacotherapy such as resmetirom. Finally, he highlights the promising potential of GLP-1 medications in managing both liver fibrosis and alcohol use. This episode is essential listening for hepatology providers, addiction specialists, and any clinician involved in the care of patients with coexisting liver disease and substance use disorders.
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