Fatty Liver Disease
Diagnostics
Effective Fatty Liver
Diagnostics
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) which includes Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) currently affects 25% of the population worldwide and approximately 30% of the U.S population. The disease is caused by excessive accumulation of fat in a person’s liver. Asymptomatic in its earliest stages, the disease is challenging to detect. By the time symptoms appear, it has advanced to later stages where it is difficult to stop and can lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer, thus requiring expensive surgical procedures such as liver transplant. In 2017-2018, NAFLD was the leading cause of chronic liver disease, and the second most common reason for liver transplantation in the U.S. and Europe. It is estimated that these numbers will get worse in the next few years, and that by 2025, NAFLD will have reached epidemic proportions worldwide.
The economic burden caused by NAFLD was estimated over $103 Billion in the U.S. in 2021. As stated earlier, the disease is caused by excessive accumulation of fat in a person’s liver. At this time, the gold standard for detection is liver biopsy. Liver biopsy is costly and invasive, and not the best way to detect NAFLD in its earliest stages. The key is to detect NAFLD in its earliest stages so that with lifestyle changes as well as new therapies currently being worked at multiple pharmaceutical companies, the disease can be stopped and reversed. At Arrow Dx, we are developing the ArrowTest, a sensitive, inexpensive user friendly test to screen early for NAFLD. One of our aims is to provide physicians, hospitals, and clinics with a tool for the early detection of NAFLD so that lives can be saved. Additionally, the ArrowTest has the potential to reduce healthcare costs associated with NAFLD by 25% to 40%.
