Via practica 1/2014

Effective drug therapy of liver diseases in general practice

Pharmacotherapy of liver diseases moves from symptomatic treatment toward the specific treatment. Only methods based on relevant clinical studies should be used. This condition does not fill previously widely prescribed “hepatoprotectives”. Apart from viral hepatitis, in clinical praxis we usually deal with alcoholic liver disease, non alcoholic steatohepatitis, chronic cholestatic syndromes and complications of liver cirrhosis. Basic treatment in alcoholic and non alcoholic liver disease is life style changes and diet, in the treatment of chronic cholestasis ursodeoxycholic acid is used. In the treatment of liver cirrhosis pharmacologic prevention of variceal bleeding, prevention of infections and diuretic treatment of ascites improve prognosis and quality of life. The effect of many supportive medicaments with antioxidant or other protective properties was not proved.

Keywords: alcoholic liver disease, hepatoprotectives, cholestasis, liver cirrhosis, NASH.