Vitamin E Or Metformin May Not Be Effective For Treating Liver Disease In Children And Teens

Guess what? Woo-woo and some drugs do not work to reverse the effects of nutritional child abuse. Who could have seen that coming?

Apparently not the NIH - see post below. Confused yet?

In contrast to previous preliminary data, use of vitamin E or the diabetes drug metformin was not superior to placebo on a measured outcome for treating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in children and adolescents, according to a study in the April 27 issue of JAMA.

"Coincident with the rise in prevalence of childhood and adolescent obesity over the past few decades, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common cause of chronic liver disease in children in the United States," according to background information in the article. NAFLD encompasses a range of severity, from mild to severe disease that may ultimately result in advanced fibrosis (development of excess fibrous connective tissue in an organ), cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Insulin resistance is frequently identified in both adults and children with NAFLD, and treatment approaches to NAFLD target reduction in insulin resistance and oxidative stress. Pediatric pilot data demonstrated potential efficacy of metformin or vitamin E in treating NAFLD.

Go figger.