What is the relationship between liver disease and mental health?

Russian doctor, Alexander Myasnikov, stated that liver problems have negative effects on people’s mental health.

During his medical program on the Russia TV channel, the doctor said: “The liver performs a number of important functions in the body, and its disorders can cause serious diseases or even death. The liver is the biochemical factory in the body, and is responsible for many important functions, such as Producing clotting factors, regulating cholesterol, hormones, and juices necessary for digestive processes.”

He added: "Liver disease can have serious consequences not only on the body's digestion process, but also on other body systems, and may cause psychological and mental health problems as well. With liver failure, the person becomes rude and does not behave properly."

The doctor pointed out many factors that negatively affect liver health, such as drinking alcohol, eating foods high in fat, as well as diseases, such as cirrhosis of the liver and viral hepatitis (A, B, C, D, and E), which may sometimes cause death.

To maintain the health of the liver in general, the doctor provided several tips, including: washing hands constantly and drinking clean water to avoid viruses that cause infections, as well as being careful not to drink excessive amounts of alcohol and eating fatty foods, and performing medical examinations on a regular basis to detect liver problems in their early stages and treat them.

 

A promising breakthrough the first drug to treat serious food allergies

A recent study revealed that a drug used to treat asthma “for a long time” could provide protection against serious, and even fatal, food allergies.

The study, funded in part by the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, tested the drug Xolair (its chemical name is omalizumab) on 118 children who were allergic to peanuts and at least one other food, such as milk or eggs.

The research team found that 67% of the children were able to tolerate a small amount of peanut protein without developing symptoms after treatment.

Earlier this month, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of the drug to treat food allergies in adults and children as young as one year old.

However, the researchers warned that people prone to food allergies should not let their guard down completely when using the drug that relieves serious reactions, as they should try to avoid known allergens.

Xolair is given by injection for two to four weeks.

One of the study leaders, Dr. Robert Wood, from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said: “The treatment could completely change patients’ lives.”

It is noteworthy that Roche and Novartis are overseeing the sale of Xolair.

The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.