According to researchers a the CLDT, living donors are likely to be in better health, with donors carefully screened for compatibility.

Donated liver tissue can regenerate, which is why living donor transplantation is feasible.  Still, over 17,000 patients annually await suitable livers for transplantation, with suitable deceased donor livers sufficient to treat only 6,700 potential recipients each year.

In addition, there is another online calculator that you may find helpful – this one is from the United Network for Organ Sharing.  This calculator determines your MELD (Model for End state Liver Disease score.  The Mayo Clinic web site references other calculators as well.

These tools can be helpful to a physician who is supporting you in your claim for disability based on liver disease.  Even if you do not meet the listing, your doctor can use these tools and the scores they generate to complete a functional capacity evaluation form.

When your liver function decreases to the point where your test scores document serious liver disease, your doctor can assume serious activity limitations – such as the inability to complete a regular workday without excessive interruptions, or a likelihood that you would miss excessive days from work.

Loyola University Health System conducted the study of 301 cirrhosis patients.  The study was the first of its kind to document how liver patients compare with the general population in terms of mental capability.  The researcher evaluated patients from across the country and they all completed a test, the Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Status.  The test takes approximately twenty to twenty-five minutes and measures memory, attention, language, and visual spatial functions, according to DNA India.  Participants were asked to repeat lists of digits, copy figures, and recall a story, among other things.

Those in the general population who take the exam score 100, while liver patients in this study, suffering from neurocognitive impairment scored 74 on average.  This score is lower than the average score of those suffering from the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease.  The neuropsychologist conducting t he study, Dr. Randolph, noted that neurocognitive impairment is a severe problem impacting those living with liver disease.  It can affect how they do everyday tasks, whether they can work, and their relationships.  He believes that it occurs because certain toxins, such as ammonia, do not leave the body because of the diseased liver and therefore, impact the brain.  The impairment affects liver disease patients equally, independent of age, gender, education, or the severity of their liver disease, reports DNA India.

This is a remarkable study, as liver disease is already recognized as a disability by the Social Security Administration and this simply shores up the reasons why.  People living with liver disease may not only be battling the physical side effects, but the mental ones as well.  This can adversely impact their work environment and prevent them at working in the capacity that they are accustomed.  It also provides an impedance to develop treatment options to attack this memory loss in addition to physical ailments of the disease.

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The drug, manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb, is the first of its kind, attacking a different protein in the body.  Hopefully, combating this different protein will help the body not to build up a resistance to medication used to treat liver disease.  This is encouraging because current treatment options include taking an interferon and antiviral medication for fifty-two weeks.  Unfortunately, this traditional treatment only works half of the time and many people experience side effects so crippling that they have to cease taking the medications.  This is one of the reasons that liver disease is classified as a disability for social security benefit purposes.  As a chronic condition, with no cure, the condition is taxing on individuals, compounded with the debilitating effects of necessary medications.  Often, people find that the combination of the disease and the drugs is more than they can handle, and they must stop working.

With this new drug, there is hope that it will not only prevent the body from becoming resistant to treatment, but also prevent Hepatitis C from replicating.  In fact, in an early study of the drug, individuals saw the viral load decrease by ninety-nine percent, reports Reuters.  Some individuals who took the highest dose of the drug even had the disease become undetectable in their bodies.  The research team hopes that by using this drug in combination with other medications, a person may be able to rid their body of the disease, rather than developing a resistance and allowing the virus to replicate, which is the typical course of events.  Obviously, more research and additional studies will need to be conducted to determine the drug’s overall impact on Hepatitis C; however, these early indicators seem to bode well for those currently struggling with liver disease.

However, it must be stated that yes, an alcoholic with liver disease can qualify for disability. But it can be kind of tricky, and I believe it is best if you can show that your liver disease isn’t based on your alcohol abuse. As long as you can prove that your liver disease itself prevents you from working, you have a fair shot at winning.

Here are some additional tips. Social Security judges are more likely to be more understanding when an active drug user or alcoholic claimant is trying to make an effort to treat their addiction. So if you are an alcoholic, I strongly suggest that you enroll in some kind of treatment program prior to your Social Security hearing.

Also, never say that your alcoholism is the main reason you are disabled. You have to be sure to attribute your disability to your liver disease symptoms. At a hearing, try your best not to focus on the alcohol problem; rather, focus on physical and/or mental limitations that arise from your physical problem.

Last thing to note: At a hearing, you can help yourself by appearing to be someone who wants to work. never testify that you ‘do not want to work’ because of your illness. It is better to express that you are unable to work because of your impairment.

All this said, it can be harder for an alcoholic to win disability benefits, but it’s not impossible. It is advisable to hire an attorney if you think you are deserving of liver disability benefits but believe you may have a tough time winning based on your alcoholism.

Researchers from the University examined data from the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The team was looking for any unusual liver enzymes or other abnormalities associated with the liver. They then excluded people who had conventional risk factors, such as hepatitis or alcoholism, and determined that approximately one in three adults in the United States have some form of liver disease. After making this astonishing conclusion, the researchers wanted to determine if environmental factors could help explain this high percentage of people suffering from the disease. They tested urine and blood samples of the participants to determine whether there were common pollutants that may impact liver health. Liver Support.com reports that the researchers tested for various toxins, including lead, mercury, and pesticides. Lead is found in virtually everything that we come in contact with, including water, paint, dust, and gas. There is less of it in manufactured products; however, it exists naturally and as such, is nearly impossible to completely avoid. Mercury is also naturally occurring and is most often present in fish, dental fillings, and vaccines. Finally, many pesticides have been banned from use in the United States; however, some could still exist in the environment through the food we eat. The researchers concluded that environmental toxins, even at small levels, play an integral role in the development of liver disease.

In light of such negative news and with the knowledge that most toxins are in everything, including the soil we walk on, what can we do to prevent or decrease liver damage? First, we need to know what is in the materials we use in our home and if we are in older homes, have the paint tested for its lead content. You can filter water, be educated about where your food comes from, and generally, limit your exposure to toxins. Next, you can try to prevent the onset of liver disease by supplementing with milk thistle and avoiding a great deal of sugar in your diet. There may be no way to completely cut all toxins out of your life; however, just taking a few small steps will result in big steps for your liver health.

For the study, Spanish doctors and researchers examined the effects of white and dark chocolate on twenty-one patients end stage liver disease.  The chocolate was provided as part of a liquid diet that the patients were currently taking.  They found an extremely small increase in blood pressure after consuming the meals in the group who ate the dark chocolate.  The researchers surmise that because dark chocolate is chock full of flavonoids, very strong antioxidants, that they responsible for improving overall blood health, including heart disease, circulation, and now, liver damage.  They do note, however, that people seeking the same results from standard milk or white chocolate may be sorely disappointed.  The researchers state that these candies and confections are full of sugar, which is very bad for the liver and does not provide any type of antioxidant benefit.  In fact, the chocolate used in the study was made up of eighty-five percent cocoa.  Fortunately, most of these types of chocolate varieties can be found in your local grocery or drug store.

So, why is lowering blood pressure so important for those living with liver disease?  According to the researchers, a blood vessel rupturing after a meal is a common and risky occurrence for liver disease patients.  This is due to blood pressure increases, coupled with pre-existing hypertension in their livers.  The rupturing is dangerous, as is the potential for liver scarring due to the elevated blood pressure.  Eating a bit of rich, dark chocolate everyday can help ward off blood pressure problems, thereby helping people manage their disease more effectively.  And, it something you don’t need a prescription for or a doctor’s orders.  Honestly, you cannot ask for a better therapy than having a few tastes of wonderful chocolate to protect your liver.

According to a report on the website Liver Support, more and more physicians are finding a connection between liver disease and gluten intolerance.  The article notes that although full blown Celiac Disease may be rare, many people suffer from a form of gluten intolerance.  Gluten may harm individuals with liver disease by causing the intestinal lining to become inflamed and eventually weakening, allowing food particles to the bloodstream.  When the body’s immune system attempts to attack these molecules, it may also attack the liver’s tissues, thereby causing inflammation and possible scarring.  Furthermore, the food in the bloodstream may also lead to a higher instance of toxic substances further weakening the liver, which attempts to get rid of the waste.  If it cannot discard these toxins, it is again subject to inflammation and further scarring.  In fact, researchers in Finland found that individuals who suffered from Celiac Disease and liver damage prevented further damage to the liver by refraining from ingesting gluten.

It may be beneficial for you to experiment with a gluten free diet to see if your body responds well to consuming less of the particular protein.  There are so many products on the market today that act as great substitutions for the food you are used to.  After discussing it with your doctor, see if you can gradually introduce gluten free items into your diet and after a couple of months have some blood work done to see if your liver enzymes have improved.  There is nothing harmful about gluten free products, and you may just be able to thwart the progression of your liver disease.

If you are interested in learning more about the gluten free lifestyle, I suggest you visit Gluten Free Fox, the gluten-free search engine. There, you will find a wealth of gluten-free related info and resources.

High fructose corn syrup is a type of sweetener that is found in many popular food items (granola bars, ketchup, and ravioli, to name a few), as well as in soft drinks.  It is sweeter and less expensive than sugar and has seen tremendous growth in the past twenty years.  The Duke researchers looked at questionnaires regarding diet from approximately 427 adults who had non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.  They found that twenty-nine percent of these adults admitted to consuming soda sweetened with the syrup every single day.  Only nineteen percent stated that they never drank beverages with the sweetener.  The researchers also found that those individuals who consumed the largest amounts of high fructose corn syrup also had the largest amount of liver scarring.  It is especially troubling because there is no cure and no adequate treatment for liver disease.

The research team note that this study appears to indicate that high fructose corn syrup may be an environmental factor that leads to insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, which often leads to complications, including liver disease.  The researchers hope that exposing this type of link will encourage people to decrease their consumption of food and beverages with the sweetener, thereby preventing the development of liver disease.  Of course, the corn refining industry is refuting the study, noting that the study involved many kinds of sweeteners, not just fructose, and that fructose has not definitively been shown to cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in humans.  Obviously, more research will need to be conducted on this subject, which means we are likely to hear a lot about high fructose corn syrup for years to come.

The study examined the effects of consuming berries and various industrial berry products in a group of sixty-one women, with the average age of the women being forty-two years old.  All of the women were slightly overweight and randomly separated into two groups.  One group received some type of lifestyle intervention and were provided an average daily dose of 163 mg of northern berries every day.  The other group was only given lifestyle intervention and was not provided with any berries.  Thus, the only lifestyle difference between the two groups was the consumption of berries or berry products.  They were monitored for a twenty week period, as the researchers looked for risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome and liver disease.  They found that there was statistically significant difference between the enzyme levels in the berry group versus the non berry eaters.

The researchers believe that the twenty-three percent decrease in the enzyme may enhance the liver function, which may in turn reduce inflammation and even decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease.  Since the only absolute cure for liver disease is to have a liver transplant, it is wonderful to hear that simply eating more berries may contribute to better overall liver health and may provide protective properties against the development of the disease.  Additionally, it is always better to prevent the disease, rather than trying to manage its debilitating symptoms later.  Further, because nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is most often associated with obesity, diabetes, and insulin resistance, it is therefore a manifestation of metabolic syndrome.  If a person tries to prevent metabolic syndrome from occurring, or treats it immediately after its onset, it is much more likely that liver disease will be prevented.  So, you may want to think about adding berries to your diet.  They may not only protect that heart, but may also bolster the health of your liver as well.