| Theme |
NASH : An Update |
| Title |
Antioxidative Therapy for NASH |
| Author |
Takafumi Saito |
Department of Gastroenterology, Yamagata University Faculty of Medicine |
| Author |
Keiko Misawa |
Department of Gastroenterology, Yamagata University Faculty of Medicine |
| Author |
Sumio Kawata |
Department of Gastroenterology, Yamagata University Faculty of Medicine |
| [ Summary ] |
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is an intractable liver disease with a risk of progression to cirrhosis or liver cancer and for which there are no proven treatments. Since NASH is frequently associated with visceral fat obesity, gradual weight reduction with diet and physical exercise is recommended as the first line treatment. Oxidative stress is well known to be important in the pathogenesis of NASH. Thus, promising pharmacological therapies have been shown using antidiabetic agents, antioxidants, lipid-lowering agents, along with antihypertensive drugs. However, the therapeutic effectiveness of such agents is still unclear in this country, because of a lack of controlled studies. Phlebotomy has also been shown to be an effective therapy for NASH in terms of reducing oxidative stress. In this paper, a promising treatment modality for NASH (except for antidiabetic agents) is introduced. |