Can dietetic intervention for obesity ever succeed in real life?

Individualisation of antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C

The combination of pegylated-interferon (PEG-IFN)/ribavirin is currently the standard of care antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis C (CHC), but optimal results require an individual approach. Key issues are to deliver doses that confer optimal antiviral efficacy against hepatitis C virus (HCV) for a time sufficient to minimise relapse. Viral monitoring during therapy guides the subsequent treatment course, particularly HCV RNA results at 4 weeks (rapid viral response [RVR]) and 12 weeks (complete early viral response [cEVR]). There is strong evidence that for most patients with genotypes 2 or 3 HCV infection, RVR allows truncation of treatment to 16 weeks, provided ribavirin dose is weight-based. However, those patients with cirrhosis, insulin resistance/diabetes or older than 50 years need 6-12 months treatment. For "difficult-to-treat" CHC (genotypes 1 and 4), RVR is infrequent (approximately 15% in European studies), but allows treatment to be truncated from 48 to 24 weeks. Without RVR, there is some evidence that longer treatment (72 weeks) improves sustained viral response (SVR). However, "induction dosing" first 12 weeks of PEG-IFN clearly does not improve SVR. To prevent dose reductions and complete therapy, it is critical to detect and treat depression and other disabling side-effects, including judicious use of growth factors for severe anemia or neutropenia and possibly, thrombocytopenia. Another potentially important aspect may be attempts to counter central obesity and insulin resistance, which confer suboptimal antiviral response with any HCV genotype. Treatment partnerships with specialist nurses, psychological therapists and other healthcare workers are also essential for optimal individual management of patients with CHC.

The liver and the waistline: Fifty years of growth

Fifty years of the Gastroenterological Society of Australia have witnessed the changing appearance of Australians. Asian immigration has transformed the dominant urban culture from European to Eurasian, with some unique Australian attributes. Meanwhile, global conditions have altered body shape, and our sports-proud country is now fat! Thus, as in North America, Europe, China, and affluent Asia-Pacific countries, prosperity and lifestyle, cheap processed foods coupled with reduced physical activity have created an epidemic of over-nutrition resulting in overweight/obesity. Additional genetic factors are at the core of the apple shape (central obesity) that typifies over-nourished persons with metabolic syndrome. Indigenous Australians, once the leanest and fittest humans, now have exceedingly high rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes, contributing to shorter life expectancy; Asian Australians are also at higher risk. Like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and cigarette smoking, obesity now contributes much to gastrointestinal morbidity and mortality (gastroesophageal reflux disease, cancers, gallstones, endoscopy complications). This review focuses on Australian research about fatty liver, particularly roles of central obesity/insulin resistance in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/steatohepatitis (NAFLD/NASH). The outputs include many highly cited original articles and reviews and the first book on NAFLD. Studies have identified community prevalence, clinical outcomes, association with insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and hypoadiponectinemia, developed and explored animal models for mechanisms of inflammation and fibrosis, conceptualized etiopathogenesis, and demonstrated that NASH can be reversed by lowering body weight and increasing physical activity. The findings have led to development of regional guidelines on NAFLD, the first internationally, and should now inform daily practice of gastroenterologists.