Research Article Details

Article ID: A21357
PMID: 25380394
Source: Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol
Title: A systematic review of the prevalence of mildly abnormal liver function tests and associated health outcomes.
Abstract: Liver function tests (LFTs) are commonly performed to investigate asymptomatic individuals or those with nonspecific symptoms. Understanding the prevalence of mildly abnormal LFTs in the general population and the prevalence of liver disease following abnormal LFTs has important implications for the planning of care pathways and the provision of healthcare services. A systematic review of the literature on the prevalence of abnormal LFTs in the general population and their respective health outcomes was conducted. A total of 37 studies reporting data on the prevalence of abnormal LFTs (published between 2000 and 2014) were identified from online database searches or were manually selected from article bibliographies. The prevalence of mildly abnormal LFTs, with one or more abnormal constituents in the LFT, was high at 10-21.7%. The prevalence of severe liver disease within cohorts with abnormal LFTs is relatively low (<5%), and a large proportion of abnormal LFTs remains unexplained. Among individuals with unexplained abnormal LFTs, risk factors include obesity and insulin resistance. Common aetiologies for abnormal LFTs were non-alcohol-related fatty liver disease (NAFLD), followed by alcohol use and viral infections. In addition, normal LFTs do not rule out liver disease. The prevalence of abnormal LFTs depends on the definition and population but is likely to be between 10 and 20% in the general population. Abnormal LFTs are associated with a range of health outcomes but are not necessarily strongly diagnostic of severe liver pathology. Important areas of future research include further studies on the prevalence and predictive ability of LFTs in large, population-representative samples.
DOI: 10.1097/MEG.0000000000000233

Strategy ID Therapy Strategy Synonyms Therapy Targets Therapy Drugs
S01 Improve insulin resistance insulin sensitizer; insulin resistance; glucose tolerance Biguanide: increases 5-AMP activated protein kinase signaling; SGLT-2 inhibitor; Thiazalidinedione: selective PPAR-γ agonists; GLP-1 agonist Metformin; Empagliflozin; Canagliflozin; Rosiglitazone; Pioglitazone; Liraglutide Details

Target ID Target Name GENE Action Class UniProtKB ID Entry Name
T10 Caspase-1 CASP1 inhibitor Enzyme P29466 CASP1_HUMAN Details

Diseases ID DO ID Disease Name Definition Class
I05 9352 Type 2 diabetes mellitus A diabetes that is characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia with disturbances of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. A diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus_type_2 disease of metabolism/inherited metabolic disorder/ carbohydrate metabolic disorder/glucose metabolism disease/diabetes/ diabetes mellitus Details
I14 9970 Obesity An overnutrition that is characterized by excess body fat, traditionally defined as an elevated ratio of weight to height (specifically 30 kilograms per meter squared), has_material_basis_in a multifactorial etiology related to excess nutrition intake, decreased caloric utilization, and genetic susceptibility, and possibly medications and certain disorders of metabolism, endocrine function, and mental illness. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity disease of metabolism/acquired metabolic disease/ nutrition disease/overnutrition Details

Drug ID Drug Name Type DrugBank ID Targets Category Latest Progress
D328 Serine Chemical drug DB00133 SRR Improve insulin resistance Under clinical trials Details
D316 S-adenosyl-L-methionine Chemical drug DB00118 GNMT cofactor Antiviral Under clinical trials Details
D182 Insulin Biological drug DB00030 INSR agonist; CPE modulator&product of -- Under clinical trials Details