liver transplants Addiction & liver disease Liver HeaLtHdoc.mediaplanet.com/all_projects/7051.pdf · The American Liver Foundation offers 10 ways to keep your liver healthy: eat well.

Liver HeaLtH

HAVE YOU BEEN TOLD THERE IS NO HOPE? YOU ARE NOT ALONE!Liver Disease? Advanced Cancer? Tumors in your liver?

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Call our toll free Survivor Line at (877) 937-7478

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conquering Hepatitisthe importance of early detection

liver transplants misconceptions, concerns, and advancements

Addiction & liver disease A change in mentality can be the cure

March 2011

To The edge and backChris Klug talks about overcoming liver

disease to win an Olympic medal

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2 · mArcH 2011 An Independent supplement from medIAplAnet to tHe sAn frAncIsco cHronIcle

CHaLLeNGeSLiver disease does not discriminate. It can strike children, people in their prime and career building years, families and the elderly. Often people have little understanding of whatfunctions the liver performs to keep the body healthy or steps to take to achieve liver wellness.

achieving liver wellness

the liver is a vital organ. A person simply cannot live without their liver. The liver helps the body digest food, store

energy, manufacture proteins and remove poisons from air, exhaust, smoke and chemicals that a per-son may breathe.

The American Liver Foundation offers 10 ways to keep your liver healthy:eat well. Eat a well-balanced diet and maintain a healthy weight. The liver makes the cholesterol your body needs, but too many high cal-orie foods can cause fatty liver dis-ease, one of the fastest growing con-ditions leading to severe liver dis-ease.Avoid aerosol sprays. Your liv-er has to detoxify what you breathe in. So when you use aerosols, make sure the room is ventilated or wear a mask.

Wash your hands. Several types of liver disease are spread through contact with contaminated water or other items. Washing your hands is a valuable defense to avoid these diseases.Use alcohol responsibly. It is known that too many alcoholic beverages can create many health problems including scarring your liver. This means no more than three ounces of alcohol per day. Follow directions on all medica-tions. Some medications can affect the liver and everyone needs to read labels carefully.Get vaccinated. There are now vaccines for hepatitis A and B.Don’t share razors, toothbrush-es or nail clippers. These have been known to transmit hepatitis C in-fection.Get tested if you think you are at risk. Simple blood tests can deter-mine many types of liver disease. Ask your physician for a complete liver analysis.

practice safe sex. Unprotected sex or sex with multiple partners increases your risk of hepatitis B and C.Learn more about liver dis-ease. Go to www.liverfoundation.org for more information on liver disease and ways you can keep your liver healthy.

The American Liver Foundation (ALF) is the nation’s leading non-profit organization promoting liver health and disease prevention. ALF provides research, education and advocacy for those affected by liver-related diseases, including hepati-tis. ALF has many events through-out the year that need people like you to help with fundraising and educational programs. Get involved today! Call ALF to volunteer! Make a donation. Help make a difference.

For more information about liv-er disease go to the American Liver Foundation, www.liverfoundation.org or call 1-800-GO-LIVER. (800-465-4837).

Diann RohdeVice President of communications, American liver Foundation

® www.liverfoundation.org | 1-800-GO-LIVER

Dedicated to the �ght against liver diseaseThe American Liver Foundation

Liver Fact: One in every 2500 children born have a liver disease

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Chris Klug,from the transplant list to the olympic podium

We recommend

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liVer heAlth 2nd edition, mArch 2011

Managing Director: Allan [email protected] Manager: Jackie [email protected]

responsible for this issue:publisher: Kevin [email protected] Developer: rebecca [email protected] Designer: missy [email protected]: dr. Karen Khaleghi, dr. morteza Khaleghi, chris Klug, dr. John roberts, diann rohde, American liver foundation, martha sally

Distributed within: tHe sAn frAncIsco cHronIcle, mArcH 2011this section was created by mediaplanet and did not involve the san francisco chronicle or its editorial departments.

Combating Liver Disease p. 4A case for Washington

Liver transplants p. 5What you need to know

“get tested if you think you are at risk.”

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An Independent supplement from medIAplAnet to tHe sAn frAncIsco cHronIcle mArcH 2011 · 3

CHaLLeNGeS iNSpiratioN

ALFie is the mascot of the American Liver Foundation and a regular partici-

pant in the Liver Life Walk, which will take place in the Bay Area on September 24 and throughout the nation on various spring and fall dates. More than a walk, the Liver Life Walk unites communities in the fight against liver disease and the campaign for all Americans to have a healthy liver. Walk for your health or in honor of a loved one. Visit www.liverfoundation.org/walk to learn more or sign up.  

UnitinG CoMMUnities

Walk for your health

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4 · MARCH 2011 AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT FROM MEDIAPLANET TO THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

insight

nearly six mil-lion Ameri-cans are esti-mated to be infected with chronic hepa-titis B or C and

65 percent to 75 percent of peo-ple who are infected don’t know it. Baby Boomers, African Amer-icans, Americans of Hispanic heritage, and Asian Americans are among those who are at the highest risk for infection. With-out proper screening and early intervention, hepatitis B and C can lead to far more serious and expensive medical conditions, including cirrhosis, liver fail-ure, or liver cancer. These costs are often borne by Medicare and Medicaid, further straining fed-eral and state budgets.

An overwhelming majority of liver cancer cases result from chronic hepatitis B or C infec-

tion. Liver cancer is the fifth most common cancer world-wide and is one of the top ten occurring cancers in the United States. If our system would bet-ter promote screening and early intervention on hepatitis B and C, we would be virtually certain to see a long-term decline in liv-er cancer cases and deaths—and a corresponding reduction in health care costs.

Winning the battleFortunately, hepatitis B and hepa-titis C are both winnable battles. Hepatitis B is preventable through a vaccine and treatable when detected early. Hepatitis C can be cured in about 50 percent of cases—and that number is poised to grow significantly with the advent of upcoming new thera-pies.

Next month, the U.S. Depart-ment of Health and Human Ser-

vices is slated to unveil a long-awaited national strategy on how best to respond to this epidemic. The HHS Viral Hepatitis Strategy will provide an important path-way for policymakers. The chal-lenge will be translating that re-port into action. Federal resources must be marshaled at the highest levels and key agencies can then begin to coordinate their efforts. States should be supported in their outreach efforts and adequate funding made a priority. While budgets are in distress, the cost of inaction could result in hundreds of billions of dollars in unneces-sary health care costs.

With the release of next month’s report, we are optimistic that the decades of neglect for the viral hep-atitis community are finally over.

Martha Saly Director of the NatioNal

hepatitiS rouNDtable

[email protected]

Washington takes action on hepatitis crisis

Our experienced team of integrated Chinese medicine experts works closely with your Western medical team to help you Conquer Hepatitis C

Doc Misha’s

WWW.DOCMISHA.COM • WWW.HELPHEPATITISC.COM/BLOG • 415-861-1101

Hepatitis C Help Program

Get checked reGularly

for hepatitis

2step

Question: Is the battle against hepatitis winnable? answer: Yes, with the proper education and foresight.

Martha salyDirector of the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable

“Hepatitis C can be cured in about 50 percent of cases—and that number is poised to grow significantly with the advent of upcoming new therapies.”

a negative liver panel breaks the daMAfter 21 years of treating addic-tion, we never tire of seeing a person’s unlimited potential to change. What drives change can be many different things and a negative liver panel can be a sig-nificant one. The liver tells the true story of addiction and, as it is the only internal vital organ capable of regeneration it also tells the tale of the individuals ability to cleanse and renew.

Simply put, the liver is a com-plex vital organ with a wide range of functions, including detoxifi-cation. The reality of addiction manifests in liver function and the likelihood that a negative liv-er panel can turn into a transfor-mative experience is greatly in-creased through the involvement of an addiction specialist.

With the results of a liver panel in hand, the Denial, Avoidance & minimization (DAM) can be bro-ken. The DAM is the addict’s de-fense mechanism that allows the addict to mask the pain of what is at the heart of their addiction. It is essential that we meet the addict with the facts at hand as well as the belief that they can heal what ails them emotionally and physi-cally. With help they can choose to heal their spirit, rebuild rela-tionships and regenerate their vi-tal organs.

Dr. Morteza Khaleghi aND Dr. KareN Khaleghi

DoN’t Miss

An Independent supplement from medIAplAnet to tHe sAn frAncIsco cHronIcle mArcH 2011 · 5

vices is slated to unveil a long-awaited national strategy on how best to respond to this epidemic. The HHS Viral Hepatitis Strategy will provide an important path-way for policymakers. The chal-lenge will be translating that re-port into action. Federal resources must be marshaled at the highest levels and key agencies can then begin to coordinate their efforts. States should be supported in their outreach efforts and adequate funding made a priority. While budgets are in distress, the cost of inaction could result in hundreds of billions of dollars in unneces-sary health care costs.

With the release of next month’s report, we are optimistic that the decades of neglect for the viral hep-atitis community are finally over.

Martha Saly Director of the NatioNal

hepatitiS rouNDtable

[email protected]

iNSiGHt

What is the number one post-op concern for new liver recipients? Most patients are concerned about rejecting their liver following their transplant. Although patients are main-tained on immunosuppres-sant medications to prevent rejection, there is a risk of rejection following trans-plant. The medications do have many side effects associ-ated with them and they can require changes in the dosage. Over time, the risk of rejection goes down and the drug dos-ages are decreased.

What is the biggest misconception regarding liver transplants?Many people still think that liver disease comes only from the use of alcohol. This is not true. Although we do trans-plant patients with alcohol related liver disease who have been clean and sober, there are many other diseases that cause liver failure. The most com-mon liver disease leading to liver transplantation is hepati-tis C. Among the many others are hepatitis B, liver cancer and some autoimmune diseases.

Where do you see liver transplant heading in the future, and with regards to research?Immune tolerance is one area of great interest and research. Research focuses on who has tolerance, meaning their body has accepted the transplanted liver as their own. The UCSF Transplant Service is currently conducting a trial of withdraw-ing immunosuppression in children. We have found that for children who have received a living donor transplant, we can stop immunosuppression in a surprisingly high propor-tion. The key is how long it’s been since the child has had the transplant and how the drugs are withdrawn.

the truths and facts about liver transplants

Our experienced team of integrated Chinese medicine experts works closely with your Western medical team to help you Conquer Hepatitis C

Doc Misha’s

WWW.DOCMISHA.COM • WWW.HELPHEPATITISC.COM/BLOG • 415-861-1101

Hepatitis C Help Program

In conjunction with a doctor’s help, there are steps that can be taken to control or prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

■■ Lose weight. If you’re over-weight or obese, reduce the number of calories you eat each day, (partic-ularly carbohydrates) and increase physical activity in order to lose weight.

■■ Choose a healthy diet. Eat a healthy diet that’s rich in fruits and vegetables, healthy unsaturated fats, and whole grains.

■■ exercise and be more active. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. In-corporate more activity in your day.

■■ Control your diabetes. Fol-low your doctor’s instructions to stay in control of your diabetes.

■■ Lower your cholesterol. A healthy diet, exercise and medica-tions can help keep your cholesterol at healthy levels.

aMericaN liver fouNDatioN, great laKeS office

[email protected]

tiPs And PreVention

www.ucsfhealth.org/livertransplant

A National Leader in Liver Transplantation� Largest liver transplant center in Northern California.

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Dr. John Robertschief of ucsF transplant service, ucsF medical center

“many people still think that liver disease comes only from the use of alcohol. this is not true.”

6 · mArcH 2011 An Independent supplement from medIAplAnet to tHe sAn frAncIsco cHronIcle

iNSpiratioN

Keep A positiVe MinDset

Keep ApositiVe

3step

MAKinG stRiDesChris making a frontside turn in 2002.Photo: Dennis schroeDer

An Independent supplement from medIAplAnet to tHe sAn frAncIsco cHronIcle mArcH 2011 · 7

The first American athlete on the first ever U.s. olympic snowboarding team had to overcome more than just the competition.

Don’t take a turn for granted

the powder flew out from under the snowboard as Chris Klug cut down the Utah mountain slope. His excited family

and friends waited at the bottom of the hill. The fact that he was doing so well was a bonus; his presence there alone was already inspiring. A few years before, it did not seem possible.

In 1991, three-time Olympian snowboarder Chris Klug was diag-nosed with a rare degenerative bile duct condition. Primary Scleros-

ing Cholangitis (PSC) is indeed as scary as it sounds, and it required a transplant. There are currently over 110,000 people on a waiting list for an organ transplant, with the ma-jority waiting for kidneys. A liver transplant, the kind Chris needed, is not common. As a result, he wait-ed for six years before finally having the transplant in 2000.

early detectionDegenerative conditions worsen overtime, and the damage caused is often permanent. By getting checked early and isolating the problem, Chris’ doctors were able

to treat him and keep him active throughout the waiting period.

“The hardest part of the process was the waiting game leading up to my transplant. It’s not like an or-thopedic injury. You can’t just get the MRI or X-Ray, find out what’s wrong, and get it fixed. Your life is put on hold; you hope and pray daily for a second chance,” Chris says. Fi-nally, he got the call.

Apparently, Chris was not inter-ested only in breaking records on the slopes with his snowboard, he was also determined to go through the surgery the same way. “I worked hard preparing for the surgery both

mentally and physically. I was out of the hospital in record time, four days, and back in the gym lightly riding a stationary bike and lifting my arms within a week.”

A year and a half later, as Chris slid past the finish line at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City to cheering fans and a bronze medal, he achieved a dream that he had held since he first started competing. His recovery from the transplant shows how mod-ern medicine and determination can overcome nearly anything.

toNy hyMeS

[email protected]

iNSpiratioN

Chris Klugthree-time olympic snowboarderpHoto: tIm mutrIe

ADDICTION

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