Identifying Chronic Liver Disease in Primary Care Practice

There is a recent emphasis in liver disease management on how best to identify individuals at increased risk for clinically significant disease in the primary care setting. Many studies have developed risk stratification guidelines, but few have applied them in a primary care population.

In this prospective study, researchers recruited patients from a family medicine practice in an inner city setting in England. Adults with one or more risk factors for chronic liver disease (obesity, type 2 diabetes, and hazardous alcohol use) were enrolled as a subpopulation of the overall primary care practice. Patients underwent transient elastography (TE), from which a reading of ≥8 kPa was defined as significant liver disease.

Among 576 patients particip…