Social Media and Autoimmune Disease Support

It’s interesting to live in a technology-driven world.  I’m a baby boomer generation member – a child of the 1950s.  It’s remarkable to think about how far technology has advanced since I’ve been earning a paycheck.  I learned to type on a standard typewriter, punching down keys without any rhythm, trying to pass a typing test back in high school.  I rejoiced when the standard typewriters were replaced with the IBM Selectric models that made typing correspondence such a pleasure.  Yes, we’ve come along way, baby!

It’s remarkable the way technology has given us ways to easily connect with each other through social media sites.  When I was first diagnosed with AIH, I began a frantic search for medical information and patient support groups, online.  There weren’t any community groups for patients with my particular autoimmune diseases in my city.  Thankfully, the internet provided medical information and an anonymous, peer/patient support environment to help me through those dark moments of despair when I was first diagnosed. 

I’ve posted most of these links in previous posts, but they are worth repeating and re-posting.  I’m a huge fan of the American Liver Foundation’s (ALF) Facebook page, and I follow their Twitter feed to learn more about liver disease research news, particularly AIH.  I follow the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about autoimmune disease research, too.  These organizations provide links to free, medical resources to educate patients and the public about liver disease and autoimmune disorders.  They provide online, anonymous patient support groups that let us know that we are not alone during out times of crisis.  Check them out.  Share their information with your friends, family, doctors and coworkers.  You never know who might be in need of reassurance or medical information.

I began writing to help others through that feeling of despair that came with a frightening diagnosis.  It’s such a good feeling to be able to throw a life-line of support to a fellow AIH or Hashimoto’s patient seeking help and medical information.  Pay it forward.

Namaste,

Mags

May 2013 – Another Year of Raising Hepatitis Awareness

It’s that time, again.  Time to raise a little hepatitis awareness, particularly autoimmune hepatitis awareness.  Like many patients dealing with chronic illness, I’m hesitant to post about my personal autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) journey.  But, I feel that I’m doing a good public service for others struggling with a new AIH diagnosis or learning to live with AIH.  That’s the reason for keeping my blog in the public blogosphere.  I’ve been job-searching since my December 2012 graduation.  Like others living with chronic illness, I worry if my chances of employment will diminish if I’m linked to AIH, a rare liver disease, and chronic hepatitis.

Hepatitis research and treatment has been making news’ headlines.  Here’s some recent liver news that I found interesting and heart-warming:

New Mechanism for Estrogen Suppression of Liver Lipid Synthesis (retrieved from Science Daily on 5/29/13,
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130523143729.htm#.UaYDHmCPhzQ
and tweeted by the American Liver Foundation on 5/28/13).  “May 23, 2013 — By discovering the new mechanism by which estrogen suppresses lipid synthesis in the liver, UC Irvine endocrinologists have revealed a potential new approach toward treating certain liver diseases.  With this finding, Dr. Ellis Levin and colleagues believe they are changing long-held views in the field. Study results appear in the May 21 issue of the journal Science Signaling.”    As noted in the article, this research is good news for patients living with chronic hepatitis.  “Estrogen plays a role in liver functions, and may be a deterrent to liver cancer, as men get this type of cancer at a rate of four-to-six times more than women and animals models of this cancer show clear suppression by estrogen. The hormone also helps suppress the development of fatty liver, which can lead to liver damage and failure, and inflammatory liver disease that result from chronic hepatitis.”  Thanks, American Liver Foundation for tweeting this good news, this week .

When I was newly diagnosed with AIH, I asked my GI physician if I would have to stop drinking coffee.  Fortunately for me, I can still enjoy my morning coffee.  Here’s some good news for us coffee-consumers:  Coffee Drinking Tied to Lower Risk for Rare Liver PSC 

This was another great tweet from ALF, this week.  “New research from the US shows that regular consumption of coffee is linked to a reduced risk of a rare autoimmune liver disease called primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).  Study investigator Craig Lammert, a gastroenterologist and hepatologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, is presenting the findings at the Digestive Disease Week 2013 conference in Orlando, Florida this week.”  (Retrieved from the Medical News Today website on 5/29/13,
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/260742.php).

Here’s the story that tugged at my heart-strings, this week, courtesy of ALF.  Hang in there, Lindsey!  You have a bunch of new fans to cheer you on and send you good healing karma, prayers and best wishes:

LIVEr Champion: Lindsey Boynton (retrieved from the American Liver Foundation website on 5/29/13,
http://www.liverfoundation.org/about/news/479
).

Hepatitis 101 – to learn more about hepatitis, download this free pdf from the American Liver Foundation and share it withyour friends, family and coworkers.  (Retrieved from the American Liver Foundation website on 5/29/13,
http://www.liverfoundation.org/downloads/alf_download_1055.pdf).

Thank you, American Liver Foundation, for keeping us informed about new developments in the world of AIH, hepatitis and liver research.  Take the time to raise a little hepatitis awareness in your corner of the world.  Check out the great ALF resources and “Spread the word about liver wellness, and pledge to treat your liver well through the month of May and beyond.” (Retrieved from the American Liver Foundation website on 5/29/13,
http://www.liverfoundation.org/chapters/ham/).

Namaste,

Mags

National Autoimmune Diseases Awareness Month

Kudos to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) for launching their wonderful annual, autoimmune diseases awareness campaign!  In case you’ve missed it, March is National Autoimmune Diseases Awareness Month.  Here’s some interesting facts located on the AARDA website:

• 50 MILLION Americans have an autoimmune disease comprising a major U.S. health crisis.
• There are 100+ AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES including, autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Crohn’s disease, celiac disease,
  rheumatoid arthritis (RA), vasculitis, and Addison’s disease.
• Autoimmune diseases target women 75% more often than men & are one of the TOP 10 KILLERS of women under the age of 65.

To learn more about autoimmune diseases and to learn about ways to get involved with raising autoimmune disease awareness in your community, check out these great AARDA resources, including their March Autoimmune Disease Awareness pdf that you can download, print, and share with family, friends, and coworkers.  This is a great time to take your family medical history inventory to learn more about possible autoimmune diseases in your family.  Your family medical history is valuable, critical information that could save your life and impact your family members in the present and in the future.

American Autoimmune Diseases Association (AARDA) website,
https://www.aarda.org/

AARDA, March is National Autoimmune Diseases Awareness Month pdf, retrieved on 3/20/13 from

http://www.aarda.org/AARDA_FullPageAd_Color.pdf

American Autoimmune Diseases Association (AARDA), patient information, autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), retrieved on 3/20/13 from
https://www.aarda.org/patient_information.php

American Autoimmune Diseases Association (AARDA) YouTube Channel, retrieved on 3/20/13 from

American Autoimmune Diseases Association (AARDA) Facebook group page, retrieved on 3/20/13 from

https://www.facebook.com/Autoimmunity

AARDA, “We are 50 Million” National Autoimmune Diseases Awareness Month campaign, YouTube, uploaded on 11/24/10.

Namaste,

Mags

Reducing Your Salt Intake May Help Your Autoimmune Disease

It’s been in the news for years.  Too much salt is bad for our health.  Most of us are in the habit of label-reading when we’re shopping for groceries.  We consciously reduce our salt intake when cooking at home.  We use salt substitutes or flavor-enhancers to give our food that zing and zip that once came from a generous sprinkle of salt.

For autoimmune disease patients, reducing our salt intake could make a difference in our autoimmune disease progression, symptoms, flares, and disease management.  Interested in learning more about the impact of salt in our diets?  Check out these resources:

High salt induces pathogenic Th17 cells and exacerbates autoimmune diseases, The Journal of Immunology, 2012, 188, 60.13
Copyright © 2012 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc., Markus Kleinewietfeld,^1,2Arndt Manzel,⁴Chuan Wu,⁵Jens Titze,^4,6Vijay Kuchroo,⁵Ralf Linker,⁴Dominik Muller,^3,4 and David Hafler^1,2 (Retrieved from
http://www.jimmunol.org/cgi/content/short/188/1_MeetingAbstracts/60.13?rss=1
)

Autoimmunity:  Rubbing salt in the wound, Nature (2013) doi:10.1038/nature11959. Published online 06 March 201. John J. O’Shea,& Russell G. Jones, Affiliations, Corresponding authors

(Retrieved from
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature11959.html)

Namaste,

Mags

 

Rare Disease Day 2013: A Two-Day Event

 I’ve been tweeting about #RareDiseaseDay2013 for the past two days.  The Rare Disease Day awareness campaign continues with events being held across the globe.  Check out these events at the National Institute of Health:

Rare Disease Day at NIH , retrieved from
http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/RareDiseaseDay.aspx

As noted on their website, the NIH “will celebrate the sixth annual Rare Disease Day with a 2-day-long celebration and recognition of the various rare diseases research activities supported by the NIH Office of Rare Diseases Research, the NIH Clinical Center, other NIH Institutes and Centers; the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Orphan Product Development; other Federal Government agencies; the National Organization for Rare Disorders; and the Genetic Alliance. Rare Disease Day at NIH (RDD@NIH) will be held in the Natcher Auditorium (Building 45) from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Thursday and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Attendance is free and open to the public.” 

The Global Genes Project is another great promoter of Rare Disease Day events.  Check out the information on their website for more ways to support Rare Disease Day in your community: 
http://globalgenes.org/

The Global Genes Project is “a leading rare and genetic disease patient advocacy organization led by Team RARE (Rare advocacy, Awareness, Research, Education) and promotes the needs of the rare and genetic disease community under a unifying symbol of hope – the Blue Denim Genes Ribbon^TM.”  Retrieved from
http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/RareDiseaseDay.aspx

7000 rare diseases exist globally.  80% of rare diseases are linked to faulty genes.  Where did I learn this information?  @GlobalGenes, of course!  Check it out and get involved in the Rare Disease Day awareness campaign!  If you are living with a rare disease and want to share your personal story with the world, here’s your chance: 
http://www.rarediseaseday.org/yourstory

Needing some inspiration?  Check out the stories from rare disease patients, care providers, and supporters at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31585490@N05/
    Here’s my personal rare disease story,

 

Namaste,

Mags

Rare Disease Day, February 28 and March 1, 2013

February 28th – Rare Disease Day Celebrates 6th Year

Kudos to the wonderful folks involved with launching the annual, international Rare Disease Day events!  Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a rare form of liver disease.  I discovered the Rare Disease Day events during my second year of living with AIH.  I was following several autoimmune disease information groups on Twitter, including Patients Like Me.  Patients Like Me is one of the groups playing a big role in supporting the Rare Disease Day awareness campaign.  I depend on these groups for support in living with a rare disease and for information about autoimmune diseases and living with chronic illness.  AIH isn’t the only autoimmune disease listed on the Rare Disease Registry.

Rare Disease Day 2013

If you would like to learn more Rare Disease Day and getting involved in this terrific public awareness campaign, check out these resources and get involved by sponsoring a Rare Disease Day event in your community.  This isn’t one of those events that I might find myself saying, “Happy Rare Disease Day!”  But, I am thankful for EURORDIS (Rare Diseases Europe) and the Rare Disease Day Foundation for creating a Rare Disease Day for those of us coping with a rare disease diagnosis.  Did you know there are 24 European countries, plus the United States, involved in promoting Rare Disease Day events? 
CHECK IT OUT!
Rare Disease Day 2013, February 28, 2013 (retrieved from
http://www.rarediseaseday.org/article/about-rare-disease-day
)

Message to the Rare Disease Community from President Obama on February 28, 2013 (retrieved from
http://rarediseaseday.us/message-to-nord-from-president-obama/
)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, National Institutes of Health, Office of Rare Diseases Research (ORDR) (retrieved from
http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/PatientRegistry.aspx
)

EURORDIS (Rare Diseases Europe) (retrieved from
http://www.eurordis.org/)

Thank you, Rare Disease Day Foundation and supporters for raising awareness about rare diseases!!!
Namaste,
Mags

Rare Disease Day 2013

Heart Disease and AIH: What do they have in common?

You’ve seen the promotions urging us to “Go Red for Heart Disease” and wear red to promote heart disease awareness, this month.  February is American Heart Month.  Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.  What do heart disease and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) have in common?  Stress is a major factor in both diseases.  Stress can trigger a stroke or a heart attack.  Stress can trigger an autoimmune flare, too.

How do we live a heart-healthier life and decrease our stress-levels?  Check out these resources to learn more about the impact of stress on our bodies; getting heart-healthy; and the overall effects of managing our stress-levels on our other major organs, including our liver:

How Minimizing Stress Can Save Your Life, by the Go Red For Women Editors, (All links were retrieved on February 8, 2013),
http://www.goredforwomen.org/about-heart-disease/heart_disease_research-subcategory/minimize-stress/
)

Fight Heart Disease in Women – Go Red! (http://www.goredforwomen.org/)

American Heart Association (
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/
)

Hearthub for Patients, sponsored by the American Heart Association, provides information, resources, and tools about heart disease (
http://www.hearthub.org/
)

AHA Journals, sponsored by the American Heart Association, provides a list of AHA journals containing research articles on cardiovascular issues including heart disease, strokes, heart attack signs and symptoms, stress, and hypertension. 
http://www.ahajournals.org/

The AHA Journals have a search engine located in the top right corner of the page.  I performed a basic keyword search for autoimmune hepatitis and received over 2,000 search results and a list of autoimmune-related articles pulled from the AHA Journals.  This is a good, time-saver tool for those of us wanting to search for a heart-specific topic.   This article is very informative about heart disease in patients with autoimmune disorders:

Atherosclerosis in Patients With Autoimmune Disorders.  Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2005; 25: 1776-1785   Written by Johan Frostegård, MD, PhD.  Published online before print June 23, 2005, doi: 10.1161/​01.ATV.0000174800.78362.ec.  Retrieved from
http://atvb.ahajournals.org/content/25/9/1776.abstract?sid=243671c7-22d0-45d6-a3aa-52e5204bfebe

Coping and Support, guidance on decreasing stress associated with living with autoimmune hepatitis, The Mayo Clinic,
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/autoimmune-hepatitis/DS00676/DSECTION=coping-and-support

Womenshealth.gov offers a great resource on their web site, Publications: Autoimmune Disease Fact Sheet.  This guideline offers autoimmune disease treatment information and ways to manage autoimmune flares, which can be triggered by stress. 
http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/autoimmune-diseases.cfm

Here’s an excerpt from the guidelines:  Flares are the sudden and severe onset of symptoms. You might notice that certain triggers, such as stress or being out in the sun, cause your symptoms to flare. Knowing your triggers, following your treatment plan, and seeing your doctor regularly can help you to prevent flares or keep them from becoming severe. If you suspect a flare is coming, call your doctor. Don’t try a “cure” you heard about from a friend or relative. (Accessed from womenshealth.gov on February 8, 2013.  Womenshealth.gov is a project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health.)

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!  Take a stand against heart disease and stress.  Support the American Heart Association Go Red campaign and raise a little awareness about heart disease, stress, and autoimmune diseases including AIH.

Namaste,

Mags

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis AND Autoimmune Hepatitis

It’s not uncommon to have multiple autoimmune diseases.  I was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) in 2009.  In 2010, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.  2012 was a milestone year for me.  I completed a Master of Science degree in Library and Information Studies at FSU in December, 2012 and scheduled my thyroidectomy due to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis complications.  I can add thyroid cancer survivor to my list of 2013 achievements.  Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is a thyroid disorder causing hypothyroidism.

Before scheduling my thyroidectomy, I thoroughly researched Hashimoto’s thyroiditis inconjuction with autoimmune hepatitis.  There are similarities between these autoimmune diseases.  They can be managed with medications to slow down the disease progression and manage the symptoms.  Some of the disease symptoms are the same:  fatigue, weight gain, and lethargy.  Prednisone is often prescribed to treat both diseases.  Grave’s disease is another type of autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid causing hyperthyroidism.  To learn more about Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, thyroid cancer, and thyroidectomies, I turned to these invaluable medical resources:

ThyCa:  Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association, Inc. (@ThyCaInc on Twitter),
http://www.thyca.org

Stacey Thureen, thyroid & autoimmune patient advocate, freelance media & communications specialist, writer and blogger  (@StaceyThureen on Twitter)
http://www.staceythureen.com/about/ 

Linda Marie, a Grave’s disease patient advocate blogging about her Grave’s disease journey and recent thyroidectomy (@eyeseeLinda on Twitter),
http://eyesee.typepad.com/about.html

Mayo Clinic, An integrated clinical practice, education and research institution specializing in treating patients. (@MayoClinic on Twitter),
http://mayoclinic.org/

Mayo Clinic, Hashimoto’s disease,
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hashimotos-disease/DS00567

U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Medline Plus, Chronic thyroiditis (Hashimoto’s disease),
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000371.htm

U.S. National Library of Medicine, PubMed Health, Chronic thyroiditis (Hashimoto’s disease),
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001409/

U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI Literature at PubMed Central), Immunogenetics of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (Chistiavoc, Dimitry A.  J Autoimmune Dis. 2005; 2: 1.,Published online 2005 March 11. doi:  10.1186/1740-2557-2-1)
Retrieved at
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC555850/

U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI Literature at PubMed Central), Thyroidectomy for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: complications and associated cancers (Shih ML, Lee JA, Hsieh CB, Yu JC, Liu HD, Kebebew E, Clark OH, Duh QY., Thyroid. 2008 Jul;18(7):729-34. doi: 10.1089/thy.2007.0384., retrieved at
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18631001
).

Women’s Health.gov, A project of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health, Hashimoto’s Disease Fact Sheet,
http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/hashimoto-disease.cfm

American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, Inc.,
http://www.aarda.org/

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM), Painful Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis as an Indication for Thyroidectomy: Clinical Characteristics and Outcome in Seven Patients, (Kon and DeGroot 88 (6): 2667), retrieved from
http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/88/6/2667.full

In addition to these outstanding thyroid disease resources, I highly recommend that you explore the American Thyroid Association web site for additional thyroid educational resources,
http://www.thyroid.org/.

Having my thyroid checked, often, saved my life.  Thanks to frequent thyroid examinations and working with a team of medical experts including my wonderful Ear, Nose and Throat surgeon,  Endocrinologist, and Internal Medicine physician ensured my chances for survival and recovery from the thyroidectomy surgery and thyroid cancer.  Follow-up examinations are crucial.  Thank you to my friends, family and the kindness of strangers, my Internet thyroid and autoimmune hepatitis buddies, for your support, prayers, and words of encouragement.

Namaste,

Mags

Time to Write, Again – AIH in the News

At last, graduate school is winding down for me.  I’m halfway through my final semester, and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Fall is here.  My favorite time of year.  I love everything about the fall season – pumpkins, acorns, vibrant fall leaves, and the chill in the air.  This is a happy season for me.

I’m feeling healthy.  My autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is in remission, and I’m off the AIH meds for a while.  My Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is in remission, too.  I’m enjoying this peaceful phase in my life.  Life is good.

My personal library soapbox has been to provide access to information for everyone.  Being diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) was the catalyst for returning to graduate school and completing a Master of Science degree in Library and Information Studies.  

I’m hopeful that I’ll find the right  library home.  If anyone knows of a good library job lead for me, please leave me a comment or tweet me, please!  I’ll be graduating, soon, and I’m ready to work  .

One of my AIH buddies sent me a link to this pdf, this morning.  I have another library project to complete for a Digital Media class.  As a tie-in to my blog, I thought I would create some kind of AIH digital story as an educational AIH promotion.  I’m collecting current AIH resources to use in my class project.  It’s good to see AIH research in the news, again.  Here’s the link to the pdf:

http://mts.hindawi.com/utils/getacceptedmsfile.aspx?msid=312817&vnum=2&ftype=manuscript

Here’s the article title, Autoimmune Hepatitis as a Unique Form of an Autoimmune Liver Disease: Immunological Aspects and Clinical Overview and it’s a recent publication about AIH research conducted in Saudi Arabia.

Source:  Fallatah, H.I. & Akbar, H.O. (2012-10-12). Autoimmune Hepatitis as a Unique Form of an Autoimmune Liver Disease: Immunological Aspects and Clinical Overview.  Autoimmune Diseases, (Volume 2012/October 12, 2012), 1-43.  Accessed on October 19, 2012.  Retrieved from
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ad/aip/312817/
.

Autoimmune Diseases is a peer-reviewed, open access journal that publishes original research articles, review articles, and clinical studies in all areas of autoimmune diseases. 

For AIH newbies, this is a good article to keep on hand as an AIH reference tool.  When I’m searching for AIH information, I have a tendency to read the article abstract, give the lengthy middle parts a once-over, and read the article summary.  In the summary, there are some good tables that are easy to understand: Table 1- Revised scoring system for the diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis; Table 2: Simplified Diagnostic Criteria or Autoimmune Hepatitis; and Table 3 Common side effects of initial immune suppression therapy – A. Side effects of prednisone/prednisolone and Side effects of azathioprine.  This article covers all the familiar AIH topics including AIH overlap syndromes, AIH in pregnancy, and AIH in the elderly.

I always try to send a message of hope in my blog posts.  Sending a message of hope is my blog purpose. I wanted to create a blog to share AIH resources and information with AIH patients, like me.  I thought it would be a good idea to publicly identify myself as an AIH patient because I wanted to show the world that AIH patients are productive people.  AIH patients have jobs, lead companies, run marathons, and attend graduate school.  AIH is not a death sentence, and I am living proof of that.

My favorite take-away from this article is this excerpt:

Hepatocellular carcinoma in (HCC) in AIH HCC is much less commonly reported in AIH patients compared to other causes of liver cirrhosis. [10-233] The surveillance for HCC in AIH patients with cirrhosis is recommended and should be performed in a similar manner as with other liver diseases. [10] (Fallatah & Akbar, 2012, p. 21).

If you’ve been missing my blog posts, thank you for patiently waiting for my return.  I’ll do my best to keep you informed on my AIH research news.  Please feel free to share your AIH news with me in a comment.  I would enjoy hearing from you.  Thank you for joining me on my AIH journey!

Namaste,

Mags

Liver News Highlights

It can be tough to jungle the demands of graduate school with keeping a blog updated.  I thought I would try a different tactic beginning with April.  I will try to post the trendy topics as they come across the various news sites (ALF, AASLD, and NLM to name a few top news sites) concerning AIH and liver disease.  My goal is to keep adding resources to my AIH collection and sharing these resources with AIH patients.

What’s new in the world of liver disease for April?

Commonly Used Diabetes Drug May Help to Prevent Primary Liver Cancer, Study Suggests

ScienceDaily (Mar. 31, 2012) — Metformin, a drug widely used to treat Type II diabetes, may help to prevent primary liver cancer, researchers at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center report in the April 1, 2012, issue of Cancer Prevention Research. Primary liver cancer, or hepatocellular carcinoma, is an often-deadly form of cancer that is on the rise worldwide and is the fastest-growing cause of cancer-related deaths among American men.

Here’s the link to this news: 
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120331151911.htm

I read about this remarkable drug discovery on ALF’s Facebook group page (the American Liver Foundation).  Thanks, ALF, for this great news!

***************************************************************************************************************************************

More news from the National Library of Medicine:

April is National Donate Life Month.  For those of us living with liver disease, it is possible that somewhere down the road, we will need a liver transplant to survive.  Sending a huge cosmic thank you to everyone who has donated an organ to save a life and who has indicated that you are willing to be an organ donor when the time comes.

For more information about this topic, here’s the link:  The NLM would like to commemorate National Donate Life Month. Currently 104,748 U.S. patients are waiting for an organ transplant; more than 4,000 new patients are added to the waiting list each month. To learn more about organ donation visit:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/organdonation.html
.

Thank you, NLM, for sharing this information with us!

***************************************************************************************************************************************

What is viral hepatitis?  If you would like to know the difference between viral hepatitis and autoimmune hepatitis, here’s a good resource for you from MedlinePlus: (Thank you, MedlinePlus!)

Your liver helps your body digest food, store energy and remove poisons. Hepatitis is a swelling of the liver that makes it stop working well. It can lead to scarring, called cirrhosis, or to cancer.

Viruses cause most cases of hepatitis. The type of hepatitis is named for the virus that causes it; for example, hepatitis A, hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Drug or alcohol use can also lead to hepatitis. In other cases, your body mistakenly attacks its own tissues. You can help prevent some viral forms by getting a vaccine. Sometimes hepatitis goes away by itself. If it does not, it can be treated with drugs. Sometimes hepatitis lasts a lifetime.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hepatitis.html

***********************************************************************************************************************************

Here’s a link to an interesting report from India about autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) diagnosis in India and the UK:

http://hepatitiscresearchandnewsupdates.blogspot.com/2012/03/women-constitute-75-auto-immune.html

Hepatitis C Research and News

Saturday, March 10, 2012

‘Women constitute 75% Auto Immune Hepatitis patients’

Smriti Sharma Vasudeva : Chandigarh , Sun Mar 11 2012, 04:45 hrs

THE INDIAN EXPRESS

While Hepatitis B and C have acquired almost an epidemic status in our country, Auto Immune Hepatitis is largely overlooked in the list of liver diseases. Known to mostly affect women, AIH incidentally does not have any specific symptoms, making it a potential threat for Indian population.

World renowned couple Dr Giorgina Mieli-Vergani, emeritus professor of paediatric hepatology, King’s College Hospital, London and her husband Dr Diego Vergani, emeritus professor of liver immunopathology, King’s College Hospital London, said, “AIH is a progressive inflammatory liver disorder affecting mainly females, characterised by the presence of auto antibodies. As a result, our body’s infection fighting mechanism cells start behaving just the opposite. By the time, it is diagnosed, much of the damage to the liver is already done.”

If left untreated, AIH generally progresses rapidly to cirrhosis and liver failure. The peak incidence of the disease is before puberty and 75 per cent of the patients are girls.

(Thank you, Hepatitis C Research and News for allowing me to repost your news report!)

***************************************************************************************************************************************

And, speaking of April – National Donate Life Month, here’s an interested article from a new Internet resource, NHS Choices, Your Health, Your Choices: 
http://www.nhs.uk/news/2012/03march/Pages/viaspan-organ-transplant-fluid-contamination-risk.aspx

Viaspan organ transplant fluid contamination risk

Friday, March 30 2012

“Transplant organ fluid ‘contaminated’,” BBC News reported today, saying that bacteria could have come into contact with the product viaspan. Viaspan is a liquid used in the transportation of donor organs prior to transplant. Tests have found bacteria in the solution used to test and monitor the sterility of viaspan.

Bristol-Myers Squibb, the manufacturer of viaspan, has announced a “precautionary recall” across Europe after tests showed it may have been contaminated since last July.

***************************************************************************************************************************************

If you want to share any news articles or interesting posts about autoimmune hepatitis and liver disease with us, please feel free to post a comment.  I would love to hear your news, too.

Happy April, everyone and namaste,

Mags