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Health disparities have been well-described in all stages of the liver transplantation (LT) process. Using data from psychosocial evaluations and the Stanford Integrated Psychosocial Assessment, our objective was to investigate potential racial and ethnic inequities in overall LT waitlisting and not waitlisting for medical or psychosocial reasons. In a cohort of 2271 candidates evaluated for LT from 2014 to 2021 and with 1-8 years of follow-up, no significant associations were noted between race/ethnicity and overall waitlisting and not waitlisting for medical reasons. However, compared with White race, Black race (odds ratio [OR], 1.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-2.56) and Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity (OR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.16-3.78) were associated with not waitlisting for psychosocial reasons. After adjusting for sociodemographic variables, the relationship persisted in both populations: Black (OR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.12-3.38) and Hispanic/Latinx (OR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.08-4.86) (reference group, White). High-risk Stanford Integrated Psychosocial Assessment scores were more prevalent in Black and Hispanic/Latinx patients, likely reflecting upstream factors and structural racism. Health systems and LT centers should design programs to combat these disparities and improve equity in access to LT.

Objective. To investigate whether previously noted associations between health literacy and functional health status might be explained by cognitive function. Data Sources/Study Setting. Health Literacy and Cognition in Older Adults ('Lit-Cog,' prospective study funded by National Institute on Aging). Data presented are from interviews conducted among 784 adults, ages 55-74 years receiving care at an academic general medicine clinic or one of four federally qualified health centers in Chicago from 2008 to 2010. Study Design. Study participants completed structured, in-person interviews administered by trained research assistants. Data Collection. Health literacy was measured using the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults, Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine, and Newest Vital Sign. Cognitive function was assessed using measures of long-term and working memory, processing speed, reasoning, and verbal ability. Functional health was assessed with SF-36 physical health summary scale and Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System short form subscales for depression and anxiety. Principal Findings. All health literacy measures were significantly correlated with all cognitive domains. In multivariable analyses, inadequate health literacy was associated with worse physical health and more depressive symptoms. After adjusting for cognitive abilities, associations between health literacy, physical health, and depressive symptoms were attenuated and no longer significant. Conclusions. Cognitive function explains a significant proportion of the associations between health literacy, physical health, and depression among older adults. Interventions to reduce literacy disparities in health care should minimize the cognitive burden in behaviors patients must adopt to manage personal health. Key Words. Health literacy, cognitive abilities, health tasks, patient-reported outcomes, physical health, mental health, As we approach the third decade of health literacy research, associations between adult literacy skills and health knowledge, self-care ability, health services utilization, clinical outcomes, and mortality have been thoroughly [...]

IMPORTANCE: Bariatric surgery procedures, in particular Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), have been associated with subsequent alcohol-related complications. However, previous studies lack data to account for changes in body mass index (BMI) or alcohol use over time, which are key potential confounders. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between RYGB, sleeve gastrectomy, or gastric banding on subsequent alcohol use disorder (AUD)–related hospitalization and all-cause mortality as compared with referral to a weight management program alone. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cohort study included 127 Veterans Health Administration health centers in the US. Patients who underwent RYGB, sleeve gastrectomy, or gastric banding or who were referred to MOVE!, a weight management program, and had a BMI (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) of 30 or greater between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2021, were included in the study. EXPOSURES: RYGB, sleeve gastrectomy, or gastric banding or referral to the MOVE! program. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was time to AUD-related hospitalization from the time of bariatric surgery or MOVE! referral. The secondary outcome was time to all-cause mortality. Separate propensity scores were created for each pairwise comparison (RYGB vs MOVE! program, RYGB vs sleeve gastrectomy, sleeve gastrectomy vs MOVE!). Sequential Cox regression approaches were used for each pairwise comparison to estimate the relative hazard of the primary outcome in unadjusted, inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW)–adjusted (generated from the pairwise logistic regression models), and IPTW-adjusted approaches with additional adjustment for time-updating BMI and categorical Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Concise scores. RESULTS: A total of 1854 patients received RYGB (median [IQR] age, 53 [45-60] years; 1294 men [69.8%]), 4211 received sleeve gastrectomy (median [IQR] age, 52 [44-59] years; 2817 men [66.9%]), 265 received gastric banding (median [IQR] age, 55 [46-61] years; 199 men [75.1%]), and 1364 were referred to MOVE! (median [IQR] age, 59 [49-66] years; 1175 men [86.1%]). In IPTW Cox regression analyses accounting for time-updating alcohol use and BMI, RYGB was associated with an increased hazard of AUD-related hospitalization vs MOVE! (hazard ratio [HR], 1.70; 95% CI, 1.20-2.41; P = .003) and vs sleeve gastrectomy (HR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.55-2.53; P < .001). There was no significant difference between sleeve gastrectomy and MOVE! (HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.56-1.03; P = .08). While RYGB was associated with a reduced mortality risk vs MOVE! (HR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.49-0.81; P < .001), this association was mitigated by increasing alcohol use over time. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This cohort study found that RYGB was associated with an increased risk of AUD-related hospitalizations vs both sleeve gastrectomy and the MOVE! program. The mortality benefit associated with RYGB was diminished by increased alcohol use, highlighting the importance of careful patient selection and alcohol-related counseling for patients undergoing this procedure.

Cardiac diseases are one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality following liver transplantation (LT). Prior studies have shown that cardiac diseases affect close to one-third of liver transplant recipients (LTRs) long term and that their incidence has been on the rise. This rise is expected to continue as more patients with advanced age and/or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis undergo LT. In view of the increasing disease burden, a multidisciplinary initiative was developed to critically review the existing literature (between January 1, 1990 and March 17, 2021) surrounding epidemiology, risk assessment, and risk mitigation of coronary heart disease, arrhythmia, heart failure, and valvular heart disease and formulate practice-based recommendations accordingly. In this review, the expert panel emphasizes the importance of optimizing management of metabolic syndrome and its components in LTRs and highlights the cardioprotective potential for the newer diabetes medications (e.g., sodium glucose transporter-2 inhibitors) in this high-risk population. Tailoring the multidisciplinary management of cardiac diseases in LTRs to the cardiometabolic risk profile of the individual patient is critical. The review also outlines numerous knowledge gaps to pave the road for future research in this sphere with the ultimate goal of improving clinical outcomes.

Introduction:Many kidney recipients struggle with medication adherence and are at greater risk for adverse post-transplant outcomes. Historically, research has focused on single immunosuppressants alone, though all medications within a prescribed regimen are essential for positive outcomes. Research question:Explore predictors of medication regimen nonadherence among a diverse sample of adult kidney recipients by using multiple measures of adherence. Design:A cross-sectional analysis was performed using data from an ongoing clinical trial that enrolled 234 kidney recipients from a large transplant center. We used linear and logit regression models to examine associations of demographic characteristics, social determinants of health, and clinical characteristics with (a) self-reported regimen adherence, measured by the Adherence Starts with Knowledge 12 scale, and (b) immunosuppressant adherence, captured by calculated risk score based on Tacrolimus measurements. Results:Kidney recipients with limited health literacy, overall poorer health, and higher levels of depression demonstrated significantly poorer regimen adherence. Recipients who had dual public/private insurance, took a greater number of medications, and had shorter time since transplant demonstrated significantly poorer immunosuppressant adherence. Conclusion:Social determinants (health literacy and insurance status), and clinical characteristics (overall health status, depression, number of medications, and time since transplant) played significant roles in regimen and immunosuppressant adherence among kidney recipients in our sample. Self-reported adherence, particularly in relation to full medication regimens, can highlight modifiable barriers that might otherwise be overlooked by focusing on adherence to a single immunosuppressant. Depression and health literacy can be assessed and addressed to improve adherence among adult kidney recipients.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a growing cause of chronic liver disease. Using a proxy NAFLD definition of chronic elevation of alanine aminotransferase (cALT) levels without other liver diseases, we performed a multiancestry genome-wide association study (GWAS) in the Million Veteran Program (MVP) including 90,408 cALT cases and 128,187 controls. Seventy-seven loci exceeded genome-wide significance, including 25 without prior NAFLD or alanine aminotransferase associations, with one additional locus identified in European American-only and two in African American-only analyses (P< 5 × 10−8). External replication in histology-defined NAFLD cohorts (7,397 cases and 56,785 controls) or radiologic imaging cohorts (n= 44,289) replicated 17 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (P< 6.5 × 10−4), of which 9 were new (TRIB1, PPARG, MTTP, SERPINA1, FTO, IL1RN, COBLL1, APOHand IFI30). Pleiotropy analysis showed that 61 of 77 multiancestry and all 17 replicated SNPs were jointly associated with metabolic and/or inflammatory traits, revealing a complex model of genetic architecture. Our approach integrating cALT, histology and imaging reveals new insights into genetic liability to NAFLD.

Greater than half of patients with decompensated liver disease suffer from frailty and/or sarcopenia, which can lead to increased pre– and post–liver transplant morbidity and mortality. Although frailty and sarcopenia can impact patients with end-stage liver disease in similar ways, they are unique clinical entities with differing underlying etiologies. Early assessment and identification of frailty and sarcopenia in patients is critical to guide clinical decision-making regarding transplantation and to implement nutritional and exercise-based treatment regiments. Nonetheless, accurate diagnosis and, in particular, predicting patients that will develop frailty and/or sarcopenia remains challenging, and the success of clinical interventions is limited.

Medication nonadherence is a leading cause of graft loss. Adherence monitoring technologies—reminder texts, smart bottles, video-observed ingestion, and digestion-activated signaling pills—may support adherence. However, patient, care partner, and clinician perceptions of these tools are not well studied. We conducted qualitative individual semistructured interviews and focus groups among 97 participants at a single center: kidney and liver transplant recipients 2 weeks to 18 months posttransplant, their care partners, and transplant clinicians. We assessed adherence practices, reactions to monitoring technologies, and opportunities for care integration. One-size-fits-all approaches were deemed infeasible. Interviewees considered text messages the most acceptable approach; live video checks were the least acceptable and raised the most concerns for inconvenience and invasiveness. Digestion-activated signaling technology produced both excitement and apprehension. Patients and care partners generally aligned in perceptions of adherence monitoring integration into clinical care. Key themes were importance of routine, ease of use, leveraging technology for actionable medication changes, and aversion to surveillance. Transplant clinicians similarly considered text messages most acceptable and video checks least acceptable. Clinicians reported that early posttransplant use and real-time adherence tracking with patient feedback may facilitate successful implementation. The study provides initial insights that may inform future adherence technology implementation.

The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score predicts higher transplant healthcare utilization and costs; however, the independent contribution of functional status towards costs is understudied. The study objective was to evaluate the association between functional status, as measured by Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS), and liver transplant (LT) costs in the first posttransplant year. In a cohort of 598 LT recipients from July 1, 2009 to November 30, 2014, multivariable models assessed associations between KPS and outcomes. LT recipients needing full assistance (KPS 10%-40%) vs being independent (KPS 80%-100%) were more likely to be discharged to a rehabilitation facility after LT (22% vs 3%) and be rehospitalized within the first posttransplant year (78% vs 57%), all P< .001. In adjusted generalized linear models, in addition to MELD (P< .001), factors independently associated with higher 1-year post-LT transplant costs were older age, poor functional status (KPS 10%-40%), living donor LT, pre-LT hemodialysis, and the donor risk index (all P< .001). One-year survival for patients in the top cost decile was 83% vs 93% for the rest of the cohort (log rank P< .001). Functional status is an important determinant of posttransplant resource utilization; therefore, standardized measurements of functional status should be considered to optimize candidate selection and outcomes.

Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) is a rare inherited disorder of the heme biosynthesis pathway resulting in the accumulation of protoporphyrins in the blood, erythrocytes, and other tissues. Because of a gene mutation in the FECHgene, ferrochelatase, the enzyme involved in the final step of heme synthesis, is deficient in these patients. Although the major symptom of this disorder is photosensitivity, rarely, it can cause progressive liver disease requiring liver transplantation (LT). However, LTis not curative and only bone marrow transplantation (BMT) can correct the underlying enzymatic defect. Because liver disease results from accumulation of protoporphyrin in the liver, LTwithout hematopoietic stem cell transplantation leaves the new liver at risk for similar EPP‐related damage. A handful of pediatric patients undergoing sequential LTand stem cell transplantation have been described in the literature; however, to date none has been described in detail in adults. We report a case of an adult male with EPPand liver failure who successfully underwent a sequential liver and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). This case report describes sequential liver and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in an adult with liver failure and severe erythropoietic protoporphyria.

Liver transplant (LT) candidates today are older, have greater medical severity of illness, and have more cardiovascular comorbidities than ever before. In addition, there are specific cardiovascular responses in cirrhosis that can be detrimental to the LTcandidate. Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy, a condition characterized by increased cardiac output and a reduced ventricular response to stress, is present in up to 30% of patients with cirrhosis, thus challenging perioperative management. Current noninvasive tests that assess for subclinical coronary and myocardial disease have low sensitivity, and altered hemodynamics during the LTsurgery can unmask latent cardiovascular disease either intraoperatively or in the immediate postoperative period. Therefore, this review, assembled by a group of multidisciplinary experts in the field and endorsed by the American Society of Transplantation Liver and Intestine and Thoracic and Critical Care Communities of Practice, provides a critical assessment of the diagnosis of cardiac and pulmonary vascular disease and interventions aimed at managing these conditions in LTcandidates. Key points and practice‐based recommendations for the diagnosis and management of cardiac and pulmonary vascular disease in this population are provided to offer guidance for clinicians and identify gaps in knowledge for future investigations. In this white paper, the American Society of Transplantation Liver and Intestinal and Thoracic and Critical Care Communities of Practice summarize current evidence and make consensus recommendations for cardiac and pulmonary vascular disease risk assessment for potential liver transplant recipients.

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Med Guides are the only Food and Drug Administration-regulated source of written patient information distributed with prescriptions drugs. Despite their potential value, studies have found them to have limited utility.

The natural history and complications of Fontan-associated liver disease (FALD) are not well-characterized. We aim to describe the incidence and prevalence of and risk factors for adverse liver-related complications in FALD.

Successful bowel preparation is important for safe, efficacious, cost-effective colonoscopy procedures; however, poor preparation is common.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has a very high disease burden worldwide and is currently the leading cause of liver transplantation. Post-transplant reinfection of the liver graft is universal and progression to recurrent hepatitis and fibrosis as well as clinical decompensation can occur at an accelerated rate. Numerous risk factors for recurrence and rapid progression have been identified. Pre- and post-transplant management, diagnosis of recurrence and the decision to treat with antiviral therapy are complex. This review will focus on patterns of liver injury with HCV, risk factors for recurrence, and post-transplant diagnosis and management. The available data on the effect of HCV on combined liver kidney transplant will also be reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A paradigm shift is needed, whereby care provided by liver transplant centers needs to focus not only on survival but also on optimizing long‐term management and overall health of liver transplant recipients. VanWagner et al’s article is on page 797.