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Liver disease affects one out of every 10 American and is among the top 10 causes of death.Liver Disease - between 1999 and 2004, the incidence of hospitalizations for liver disease in the United States increased by more than one-third. Among all digestive diseases, liver disease was the second leading cause of hospitalization. Cirrhosis is a condition in which scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue. Cirrhosis is the result of longstanding liver damage from chronic diseases, including hepatitis B and C, fatty liver and alcohol abuse. Acute Liver Failure (ALF) is a syndrome of sudden and severe damage to the liver with high mortality. Causes include acetaminophen overdose, reactions to drugs and toxins, viral hepatitis, metabolic diseases, and immune disorders. Hepatic Encephalopathy (HE) is a complication of either chronic liver disease or ALF. It is associated with a spectrum of presentations, ranging from subtle neurocognitive deficit (Mild hepatic encephalopathy) Gastrointestinal diseases include a wide spectrum of disorders including inflammatory bowel diseases and irritable bowel syndrome.Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract of unknown cause. IBD affects one million people in the US and includes Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Pouchitis is inflammation of the pouch reservoir of Ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA), a surgical intervention for ulcerative colitis (UC). Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is the most common digestive disorder in the US, affecting more than 14 percent of the population. IBS is categorized into diarrhea-predominant, constipation-predominant, and alternating, depending on the pattern of defecation.
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