Wednesday, March 9, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
21
Liver recovery tough even with improved diet Influenza A cases
confirmed in
Sisters
By david Stauth
Correspondent
CORVALLIS – Liver damage
caused by the typical “Western
diet” — one high in fat, sugar,
and cholesterol that’s common in
developed countries such as the
United States — may be difficult
to reverse even if diet is generally
improved, a new study shows.
The research, published today
in PLOS ONE by scientists from
Oregon State University, found
that a diet with reduced fat and
cholesterol helped, but did not
fully resolve liver damage that had
already been done – damage that
in turn can lead to more serious
health problems, such as cirrhosis
or even cancer.
This study, done with laboratory
animals, showed that diets low in
fat and cholesterol could in fact aid
with weight loss, improved metab-
olism and health. But even then, if
the diet was still high in sugar there
was much less liver recovery, the
scientists concluded.
The findings are significant, sci-
entists say, because liver problems
such as nonalcoholic fatty liver dis-
ease are surging in the U.S., affect-
ing 10-35 percent of adults and an
increasing number of children. The
incidence of this problem can reach
more than 60 percent in obese and
type-2 diabetic populations.
“Many people eating a com-
mon American diet are develop-
ing extensive hepatic fibrosis, or
scarring of their liver, which can
reduce its capacity to function,
and sometimes lead to cancer,”
said Donald Jump, a professor in
the OSU College of Public Health
and Human Sciences, principal
investigator with the Linus Pauling
Institute, and corresponding author
on this research.
“There’s a lot of interest in find-
ing ways to help the liver recover
from this damage, but this research
suggests that diets lower in fat and
cholesterol, even if they help you
lose weight, are not enough,” Jump
said. “For more significant liver
recovery, the intake of sugar has to
come down, probably along with
other improvements in diet and
exercise.”
The issues are both serious and
complex, the researchers said.
“Everyone recognizes this is a
serious problem,” said Kelli Lytle,
an OSU doctoral candidate and
lead author on this study. “We’re
trying to find out if some of the
types of dietary manipulation that
people use, such as weight loss
based on a low fat diet, will help
address it. However, a common
concern is that many ‘low-fat’
food products have higher levels
of sugar to help make them taste
better.”
Weight loss does appear to help
address some of the problems asso-
ciated with the Western diet, the
research shows. But according to
this study, a diet with continued
high levels of sugar will signifi-
cantly slow recovery of liver dam-
age that has already been done.
Complications related to liver
inflammation, scarring and dam-
age are projected to be the leading
cause of liver transplants by 2020,
the researchers noted in their study.
Such scarring was once thought to
be irreversible, but more recent
research has shown it can be at
least partially reversed with opti-
mal diet and when the stimulus for
liver injury is removed.
In this report, scientists studied
two groups of laboratory mice that
had been fed a “Western diet” and
then switched to different, health-
ier diets, low in fat and cholesterol.
Both of the improved diets
caused health improvements and
weight loss. But one group that was
fed a diet still fairly high in sugar –
an amount of sugar comparable to
the Western diet – had significantly
higher levels of inflammation, oxi-
dative stress and liver fibrosis.
More research is still needed to
determine whether a comprehen-
sive program of diet, weight main-
tenance, exercise and targeted drug
therapies can fully resolve liver
fibrosis, the study concluded.
There have been confirmed influenza A
cases at Sisters High School, according to
nurse Trish Roy.
Influenza (also known as the flu) is a conta-
gious respiratory illness caused by flu viruses.
It can cause mild to severe illness. The flu is
different from a cold. The flu usually comes on
suddenly. People who have the flu often feel
some or all of these symptoms:
• Fever or feeling feverish/chills (not every-
one with flu will have a fever);
• Cough;
• Sore throat;
• Runny or stuffy nose;
• Muscle or body aches;
• Headaches;
• Fatigue (tiredness);
• Some people may have vomiting and diar-
rhea, though this is more common in children
than adults.
Others in the broader Sisters community
have been struck down with flu. It can be quite
debilitating and require significant rest and
recovery.
If you experience these symptoms, you are
advised stay home from work or school and
contact your health care provider. You may be
eligible for treatment with an anti-viral medi-
cation which is most effective if taken within
48 hours of symptom onset.
For more information about influenza visit
www.cdc.gov.
WALK-IN • URGENT CARE • OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE
Exceptional Caregivers = Exceptional Care
When you’re sick or injured, the last thing you
need to hear is that you have to wait for a doctor’s
appointment.
That’s not a problem at Your Care. Located just a
short drive down the road in Redmond, Your Care
offers accessible, expert same-day care. It doesn’t have
to be an emergency. If you’re under the weather or if
you have a fishhook stuck in your thumb or debris in
your eye from a workplace incident, the staff at Your
Care will get you taken care of.
Dr. Eric Watttenburg has taken to the airwaves
with YourCare America each Sunday from 8 to
11 p.m. talking healthcare, politics, the politics of
healthcare and everything in between. Tune in to
KSCO 1080 am, or find the program streaming online
at www.TalkStreamLive.com. You can also visit www.
facebook.com/yourcareamerica/. Dr. Wattenburg’s
show was also featured on KBND’s Your Town at
www.kbnd.com/podcasts/your-town.
photo by diane goble
Your Care
Eric Wattenburg, MD Phillip Burrer, MD Anita Henderson, MD Glenda Crabtree, MD Tricia Couture, FNP
is our Owner/
is committed to
has a passion for
sees our walk-in/
approaches
Medical Director
adolescents and
same-day patients wellness and illness extraordinary and
and is dedicated to
compassionate
from a holistic
student athletes.
as well as our
bringing accessible,
perspective, and
medical care.
Occupational
Open Every
Medicine &
exceptional
works to include the
Day Including
medical care to
Workman’s
patient’s family as
Weekends!
our Central Oregon Comp scheduled
an integral part of
3818 SW 21st Pl.,
541-548-2899
community.
the care plan.
appointments.
Redmond
YourCareMedical.com (Near fairgrounds)