Do you or a loved one suffer from liver disease?
Well, things may be getting easier. Thanks to a study done by the Mayo Clinic, it appears that sivelestat may reduce portal hypertension. And this may also have further implications in terms of healing liver diseases with medications.
This discovery is particularly exciting because until now, drugs have had a pretty limited effect on liver diseases. A scientific article in 2008, for example, noted, “Liver diseases are a major problem of worldwide proportions. However, the number of drugs actually used successfully in humans is very small.”
So what exactly is portal hypertension? and sivelestat?
Portal Hypertension
Portal hypertension, which can be fatal, is a condition in which there is increased pressure in the portal vein. The portal vein is responsible for transporting blood from your abdominal organs – including your spleen, stomach, pancreas, and intestine – to your liver.
The most common cause of portal hypertension is cirrhosis, which is when the liver gets scarred in the process of healing from injury. Cirrhosis, however, isn’t the only cause and portal hypertension has also been linked to “other chronic liver diseases.”
But the truth is, all liver diseases are dangerous. As the American Liver Foundation writes, “anything that keeps your liver from doing its job may put your life in danger.”
Sivelestat
Sivelestat “is a potent and selective inhibitor of neutrophil elastase,” and “has been used in trials studying the treatment of Acute Lung Injury and Respiratory Distress Syndrome.”
The Mayo Clinic quotes Dr. Shah who remarked that, ‘”sivelestat has been safely used in humans with acute lung injury and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. This suggests sivelestat and similar drugs constitute a potential means to decrease portal hypertension in patients with chronic liver disease.”’
Time will tell what the future holds for sivelestat as an antidote for portal hypertension and for medication for liver disease. For now, we hope that studies will continue to show positive results and help us gain a better understanding of liver disease and how to treat it with the right medication.
What are your thoughts about the possibilities of treating liver disease through medication?
Would this simplify your life? How so?
Please share in the comments below.