S5 - E11.3 - Panelists' Hot Topics: Low-Dose Aspirin, SLD Think Tank, Dietary Inflammation Index

Surfing the MASH Tsunami

After Michael Charlton finishes discussing research he finds compelling, Jörn Schattenberg and Louise Campbell each describe one item they have been focusing on recently.
Michael mentions the recent JAMA publication of a small, randomized controlled trial exploring the use of low-dose aspirin in biopsy-confirmed MASLD patients, which he describes as "a tremendous result." The results suggest benefits in terms of both fat fraction (PDFF) and transaminase levels. Jörn provides more detail about the trial. While the sample size was small, the results were highly promising. There is much to learn here from a larger RCT and also from understanding the biological mechanism better, but the group agrees this is a promising development.
Roger Green asks his fellow Surfers to discuss one item that has attracted their attention in the past week. Jörn Schattenberg goes first and discusses the upcoming Innovations in SLD Think Tank 2024. He expresses excitement that changes in format should yield unique, high-value benefits. Roger notes that Jörn and his co-chair Jeff Lazarus will discuss the think tank's results during the episode posting on May 15.
Louise mentions her constant pursuit of finding ways to improve prediction with FibroScan. In doing so, she found a study indicating correlation between the Dietary Inflammation index score and kilopascal level on FibroScan testing. Investigators are exploring the use of this index in an array of non-liver diseases related to metabolic syndrome or chronic kidney disease, but the correlation with kilopascals is fairly clear. Louise would like to see research looking at controlled attenuation parameter, since she can usually "see a fat change faster than a stiffness change."