FibroScan®
Echosens recognizes the importance of World Diabetes Day (WDD) and National Diabetes Month, and joins healthcare leaders worldwide and across the country to raise awareness about the link between diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): an umbrella term for a range of liver conditions affecting people who drink little to no alcohol.
- Globally, 1 in 10 people live with diabetes.
- In the United States, 30 million adults over 18 years are living with diabetes and 84 million with prediabetes.
As a growing number of primary care providers and liver specialists recognize the link between diabetes and NAFLD, the most common chronic liver disease in developed countries, there is increased understanding and recognition of the need for early, non-invasive methods for detecting and monitoring liver disease.
Need for Early Diagnosis
Because NAFLD has a prevalence rate of 70% among Type 2 diabetes patients, it’s important to know that people living with Type 2 Diabetes and NAFLD are at a two-fold risk of all-cause mortality versus those living with Type 2 diabetes alone.
Fat in the liver can increase the risks of progression of prediabetes to overt disease. Once a patient has fatty liver disease, diabetes may become more difficult to control, making it critical to obtain an early diagnosis and introduce lifestyle changes to halt or reverse NAFLD. It’s not surprising that the prevalence of NAFLD has increased in parallel with the epidemics of Type 2 diabetes and obesity.
FibroScan®: Assessing Liver Health
To help clinicians combat the spike in NAFLD among patients with Type 2 diabetes, FibroScan® is a key tool for non-invasive, painless and quick examination, designed to quantify liver stiffness. This point-of-care exam can be used by a medical assistant in the physician’s office, and is covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most insurance plans.
In recognition of WDD and National Diabetes Month, we are pleased to announce the growing availability of FibroScan® for diagnosis and monitoring in hospitals, clinics and medical office settings worldwide. FibroScan® is making a critical difference in the lives of individuals with diabetes who also face chronic liver disease, and we look forward to impacting an even greater number of people.
