Study examines dietary influences of liv...(/p Dietary nutrient composition was a...),Health

Dietary nutrient composition was a strong predictor of hospitalization or death due to cirrhosis or liver cancer in the U.S. population. "In particular, we identified that protein and cholesterol consumption were associated with elevated risk, whereas consumption of carbohydrates was associated with reduced risk of hospitalization or death related to cirrhosis or liver cancer," the authors report.

The association with cholesterol intake is potentially the most important finding of this study, the authors suggest. While cholesterol is well-known for its role in non-hepatic diseases like atherosclerosis, it has never before been linked to human liver disease. The findings suggest that drugs blocking intestinal cholesterol absorption might reduce the progression of fatty liver disease but this needs to be investigated in prospective studies.

"Subgroup analyses showed that the significant associations of protein, carbohydrate and cholesterol intake with cirrhosis or liver cancer that we described in the entire study population, were limited to overweight or obese persons," the authors report. "No such associations were observed in normal-weight persons." This suggests that the relevant dietary factors are more likely to have hepatic effects through obesity-related fatty liver disease.

"Our study raises the possibility that dietary factors may be important, modifiable, and hitherto unrecognized determinants of liver disease progression," the authors conclude.

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