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Although nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a common type of liver disease, the only widely accepted treatment regimens are weight loss and lifestyle modifications. However, recent studies demonstrate reversal of steatohepatitis with the use of thiazolidinediones such as pioglitazone and vitamin E. These agents are now recommended in patients with NASH for whom lifestyle modifications have failed, but their cost-effectiveness has not been formally evaluated.
To compare the costs and health benefits of lifestyle modifications alone or together with pioglitazone or vitamin E in patients with biopsy-proven NASH and advanced fibrosis (≥stage 3), investigators conducted a cost utility analysis using a deterministic Markov model approach. Life…