ironjustic
Mon, Nov-20-06, 17:16
November 1, 2006 www.reutershealth.com By Karla Gale
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Doctors, and the public at
large, should pay more attention to blood levels of the
liver enzyme alanine aminotransferase (ALT), according to
recommendations from the American Association for the Study
of Liver Diseases (AASLD).
"There is growing evidence that ALT is a marker of general
health," Dr. Adrian Di Bisceglie told Reuters Health. "ALT
needs to be accorded some respect and attention." Di Bisceglie
is chair of the public policy committee for AASLD and
professor of internal medicine at St. Louis University.
The relative importance of ALT as a gauge of general health is
illustrated by a presentation this week at the AASLD annual
meeting in Boston.
Dr. W. Ray Kim and associates at the Mayo Clinic College of
Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota studied 6792 residents
of Rochester who had their ALT measured at least once
in 1995. Abnormally high ALT levels were documented for
907 subjects.
Kim's group observed an increased risk of death for subjects
with elevated levels of ALT. Elevated levels of the enzyme
increased the risk of death by 63 percent.
In their meeting abstract, the investigators emphasize that
the increased death risk included not only death from liver
disease, but from all other causes as well.
Findings like these bolster the AASLD's campaign for adoption
of ALT as one of the measurements in the Health Plan and
Employer Date Information Set (HEDIS) used in accrediting
health plans, Di Bisceglie said.
"To be accredited, HEDIS requires that children be
vaccinated and that women undergo routine screening for
breast cancer, but there is no mention of testing for
measures of liver disease."
Many deaths are caused by viral hepatitis, and many deaths are
due to fatty liver disease, he continued, "and only a small
part of these deaths are due to alcohol and drug abuse," as is
often assumed by the public.
-------------------------------------------------------------
----------
Now .. anyone remember what .. elevated ALT .. indicates .. IN
.. those .=2E WITH .. hepatitis .. ?
WHAT .. reduction .. therapy .. lowers .. ALT ..
<<snip>> Serum levels of ferritin were directly and
significantly correlated with serum levels of alanine
aminotransferase <<snip>>
Clin Infect Dis. 2005 Mar 15;40(6):834-41. Epub 2005 Feb 21.
Related Articles, Links
Association of hepatitis C virus infection with serum iron
status: analysis of data from the third national health and
nutrition examination survey.
Shan Y, Lambrecht RW, Bonkovsky HL.
Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health
Center, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA. S...@uchc.edu.
Background. There is growing evidence that mildly increased
amounts of iron in the liver can increase hepatic injury,
particularly if combined
with other hepatotoxic factors, such as alcohol use, use of
porphyrogenic drugs, or chronic viral hepatitis. In the
present study, the association of hepatitis C virus (HCV)
infection with serum measurements of iron status was assessed
in the US population.Methods. We analyzed data from a total of
14,462 participants in the Third National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey. We excluded subjects who were aged <12
years, subjects for whom measurements of serum levels
of iron or ferritin or the results of liver function tests
were missing, and subjects who had a serum transferrin
saturation of >/=3D50% (to help exclude subjects with
hemochromatosis).Results. Mean serum levels of ferritin and
iron (+/- standard error) were significantly higher among
subjects with HCV infection (100+/-3 ng/mL and 229+/-17 mu
E/dL, respectively) than among subjects without liver
disease (83+/-0.3
ng/mL and 101+/-2.1 mu g/dL, respectively) (P<.0001). Serum
levels of ferritin were directly and significantly correlated
with serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate
aminotransferase, and gamma -glutamyl transpeptidase
(r=3D0.25, r=3D0.24, and r=3D0.28, respectively; P<.0001),
whereas platelet counts were inversely correlated with serum
levels of ferritin (r=3D-0.12; P<.0001).Conclusion. HCV
infection is significantly associated with higher serum levels
of ferritin and iron in the US population.
PMID: 15736017 [PubMed - in process]
--------------------------------------------------------------
--------------= =AD-----
Who loves ya. Tom
Jesus Was A Vegetarian! http://jesuswasavegetarian.7h.com
Man Is A Herbivore! http://tinyurl.com/a3cc3
DEAD PEOPLE WALKING=20 http://tinyurl.com/zk9fk
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Doctors, and the public at
large, should pay more attention to blood levels of the
liver enzyme alanine aminotransferase (ALT), according to
recommendations from the American Association for the Study
of Liver Diseases (AASLD).
"There is growing evidence that ALT is a marker of general
health," Dr. Adrian Di Bisceglie told Reuters Health. "ALT
needs to be accorded some respect and attention." Di Bisceglie
is chair of the public policy committee for AASLD and
professor of internal medicine at St. Louis University.
The relative importance of ALT as a gauge of general health is
illustrated by a presentation this week at the AASLD annual
meeting in Boston.
Dr. W. Ray Kim and associates at the Mayo Clinic College of
Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota studied 6792 residents
of Rochester who had their ALT measured at least once
in 1995. Abnormally high ALT levels were documented for
907 subjects.
Kim's group observed an increased risk of death for subjects
with elevated levels of ALT. Elevated levels of the enzyme
increased the risk of death by 63 percent.
In their meeting abstract, the investigators emphasize that
the increased death risk included not only death from liver
disease, but from all other causes as well.
Findings like these bolster the AASLD's campaign for adoption
of ALT as one of the measurements in the Health Plan and
Employer Date Information Set (HEDIS) used in accrediting
health plans, Di Bisceglie said.
"To be accredited, HEDIS requires that children be
vaccinated and that women undergo routine screening for
breast cancer, but there is no mention of testing for
measures of liver disease."
Many deaths are caused by viral hepatitis, and many deaths are
due to fatty liver disease, he continued, "and only a small
part of these deaths are due to alcohol and drug abuse," as is
often assumed by the public.
-------------------------------------------------------------
----------
Now .. anyone remember what .. elevated ALT .. indicates .. IN
.. those .=2E WITH .. hepatitis .. ?
WHAT .. reduction .. therapy .. lowers .. ALT ..
<<snip>> Serum levels of ferritin were directly and
significantly correlated with serum levels of alanine
aminotransferase <<snip>>
Clin Infect Dis. 2005 Mar 15;40(6):834-41. Epub 2005 Feb 21.
Related Articles, Links
Association of hepatitis C virus infection with serum iron
status: analysis of data from the third national health and
nutrition examination survey.
Shan Y, Lambrecht RW, Bonkovsky HL.
Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health
Center, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA. S...@uchc.edu.
Background. There is growing evidence that mildly increased
amounts of iron in the liver can increase hepatic injury,
particularly if combined
with other hepatotoxic factors, such as alcohol use, use of
porphyrogenic drugs, or chronic viral hepatitis. In the
present study, the association of hepatitis C virus (HCV)
infection with serum measurements of iron status was assessed
in the US population.Methods. We analyzed data from a total of
14,462 participants in the Third National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey. We excluded subjects who were aged <12
years, subjects for whom measurements of serum levels
of iron or ferritin or the results of liver function tests
were missing, and subjects who had a serum transferrin
saturation of >/=3D50% (to help exclude subjects with
hemochromatosis).Results. Mean serum levels of ferritin and
iron (+/- standard error) were significantly higher among
subjects with HCV infection (100+/-3 ng/mL and 229+/-17 mu
E/dL, respectively) than among subjects without liver
disease (83+/-0.3
ng/mL and 101+/-2.1 mu g/dL, respectively) (P<.0001). Serum
levels of ferritin were directly and significantly correlated
with serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate
aminotransferase, and gamma -glutamyl transpeptidase
(r=3D0.25, r=3D0.24, and r=3D0.28, respectively; P<.0001),
whereas platelet counts were inversely correlated with serum
levels of ferritin (r=3D-0.12; P<.0001).Conclusion. HCV
infection is significantly associated with higher serum levels
of ferritin and iron in the US population.
PMID: 15736017 [PubMed - in process]
--------------------------------------------------------------
--------------= =AD-----
Who loves ya. Tom
Jesus Was A Vegetarian! http://jesuswasavegetarian.7h.com
Man Is A Herbivore! http://tinyurl.com/a3cc3
DEAD PEOPLE WALKING=20 http://tinyurl.com/zk9fk