Trending News Today: Light Drinking Can Worsen Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

New research indicates that individuals with non-alcohol fatty liver disease (NAFLD) may still need to avoid alcohol to prevent liver damage, Reuters reported. According to the article, the researchers examined data on 58,927 young and middle-aged Korean adults with NAFLD who had low levels of fibrosis and followed half of these patients for at least 8.3 years. Overall, moderate drinkers were 29% more likely to have worse fibrosis by the end of the study compared with non-drinkers and light drinkers, classified as having less than 1 drink daily, who were 6% more likely to have their fibrosis become more advanced, the article reported.

A new study has found that pregnant women who have both severe obesity and diabetes may be more likely to have children with psychiatric disorders, Reuters reported. According to the article, the researchers examined data on approximately 650,000 live births in Finland between 2004 and 2014, and followed children from birth through the end of the study. Overall, obese mothers with preexisting diabetes were more than 6 times as likely as other women to have children with ADHD, conduct issues, or autism, and these children were also more than 4 times as likely to have emotional disorders, the article reported.

The number of overdose deaths from opioids in Alaska continues to rise, with fentanyl linked to a larger portion of deaths last year, the Associated Press reported. According to the article, the preliminary numbers from the state Department of Health and Social Services show that 108 Alaska residents died from opioid overdoses in 2017, while opioid overdose deaths have increased 77% from 2010 to 2017. Additionally, fentanyl-related deaths have spiked dramatically, linked to 5 deaths in 2016 and 28 last year, the article reported.