Faculty

Zobair M. Younossi, MD, MPH, FAASLD (Chair)
Professor of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University-Inova Campus
Chairman, Department of Medicine, Inova Fairfax Hospital
Vice President for Research, Inova Health System
Betty & Guy Beatty Center for Integrated Research
Falls Church, Virginia, USA

Vlad Ratziu, MD, PhD
Professor of Hepatology
Université Pierre et Marie Curie
Hôpital Pitié - Salpêtrière
Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition
Paris, France

Mary E. Rinella, MD
Professor of Medicine
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Chicago, Illinois, USA

Target Audience

The educational design of this activity addresses the needs of gastroenterologists, hepatologists, and other health care professionals involved in the diagnosis and treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

Statement of Need/Program Overview

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a potentially progressive spectrum of liver disorders that includes among its more severe forms nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).Closely associated with rising rates of obesity and metabolic syndrome, the prevalence of NAFLD and NASH continues to trend upward, suggesting that over the next decade, patients, clinicians, and health care systems will face an exponential increase in burdens associated with this underrecognized epidemic.2-4 In addition to having a strong foundation in current best practices for NAFLD/NASH management, clinicians involved in the care of patients with or at risk for NASH must be prepared to appropriately integrate newer noninvasive diagnostic modalities into patient workups and have a good understanding of the mechanisms of action, latest efficacy and safety data, and potential prescribing considerations for the numerous NASH therapies currently in late-stage development.5,6 During this Evidence-Based Best Practices™ program, expert faculty will use animated illustrations to highlight clinically relevant pathways in the complex pathophysiologic mechanisms of NAFLD and NASH; discuss current recommendations on the use of liver biopsy and complementary, noninvasive modalities for NASH diagnosis and staging; interpret the latest evidence for emerging NASH therapies; and, share their preferred risk-stratification strategies to predict prognoses, shape management decisions, and monitor disease progression.4-7

References

  1. Haas JT, et al. Pathophysiology and mechanisms of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Annu Rev Physiol. 2016;78:181-205.
  2. Hassan K, et al. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A comprehensive review of a growing epidemic. World J Gastroenterol. 2014;20(34):12082-12101.
  3. Estes C, et al. Modeling the epidemic of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease demonstrates an exponential increase in burden of disease. Hepatology. 2017 Aug 12 [Epub ahead of print].
  4. Calzadilla Bertot L, Adams LA. The natural course of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Int J Mol Sci.2016;17(5):774.
  5. Renelus B, Foster T. Noninvasive evaluation of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Clin Liver Dis. 2016;7(3):45-47.
  6. Banini BA, Sanyal AJ. Current and future pharmacologic treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2017;33(3):134-141.
  7. Bedossa P. Pathology of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Liver Int. 2017;37(suppl 1):85-89.

Educational Objectives

After completing this activity, the participant should be better able to:

  • Use current epidemiologic and demographic data to enhance NASH identification
  • Describe new insights into the pathophysiology of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)/NASH progression that inform the development of emerging NASH therapies and biomarkers
  • Selectively employ liver biopsy and complementary noninvasive modalities for NAFLD/NASH diagnosis, staging, and monitoring
  • Discuss the emerging NASH therapies, including the combined use of agents with complementary mechanisms of action
  • Monitor patients over time for NASH progression and hepatocellular carcinoma, including proactive identification of appropriate patients for enrollment in clinical trials

Accreditation Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of Global Education Group (Global) and Integritas Communications. Global is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Designation

Global Education Group designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Instructions to Receive Credit

In order to receive credit, participants must complete the pre-assessment questions, view the activity in its entirety, and the post-test, and program evaluation. Participants must also score at least 70% on the post-test. You will receive a digital copy of your credit certificate at the conclusion of the activity. Your online certificate will be saved on myCME within your Profile/Exam History, which you can access at any time.

For information about the accreditation of this program, please contact Global at 303-395-1782 or cme@globaleducationgroup.com.

System Requirements

PC
Microsoft Windows 2000 SE or above.
Flash Player Plugin (v7.0.1.9 or greater)
Internet Explorer (v5.5 or greater), or Firefox
Adobe Acrobat Reader*

MAC
MAC OS 10.2.8
Flash Player Plugin (v7.0.1.9 or greater)
Safari
Adobe Acrobat Reader*
Internet Explorer is not supported on the Macintosh.

Fee Information & Refund/Cancellation Policy

There is no fee for this educational activity.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

Global Education Group (Global) requires instructors, planners, managers, and other individuals and their spouses/life partners who are in a position to control the content of this activity to disclose any real or apparent conflict of interest they may have as related to the content of this activity. All identified conflicts of interest are thoroughly vetted by Global for fair balance, scientific objectivity of studies mentioned in the materials or used as the basis for content, and appropriateness of patient care recommendations.

The faculty reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouses/life partners have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity: 

Zobair M. Younossi, MD, MPH, FACP, FACG, AGAF, FAASLD Consultant/Independent Contractor: Allergan plc; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; Gilead Sciences, Inc.; Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Advisory Board: Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

Vlad Ratziu, MD Scientific Advisor: Phenex Pharmaceuticals AG; Advisory Board: Galmed Pharmaceuticals Ltd; Genfit SA; Tobira Therapeutics, Inc.

Mary E. Rinella, MD Consultant/Independent Contractor: Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Gilead Sciences, Inc.; Immuron Ltd; Intercept Pharmaceuticals Inc.; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; Grant/Research Support: NuSirt Biopharma, Inc.

The following planners and managers reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouses/life partners have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:

Lindsay Borvansky Nothing to disclose
Andrea Funk Nothing to disclose
Ashley Marostica, RN, MSN  Nothing to disclose
Jim Kappler, PhD  Nothing to disclose
Jeanette Ruby, MD  Nothing to disclose

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use

This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the US Food and Drug Administration. Global Education Group (Global) and Integritas Communications do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications.  

The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of any organization associated with this activity. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.

Disclaimer

Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of patient conditions and possible contraindications on dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.

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