Editorial 1 : Tackling the fatty liver disease epidemic
Context
There is a close link between fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and abnormal cholesterol levels.
Fatty liver disease
- The theme for International Fatty Liver Day this year, an awareness initiative observed annually in June, is ‘Act Now, Screen Today’.
- Liver diseases were predominantly associated with excessive alcohol use and this remains an important cause of advanced chronic liver disease.
- However, in recent years, we are seeing the emergence of a silently growing threat to liver health — non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
- Fatty liver is closely linked to metabolic health, cardiac health, and a risk for developing cancers.
- This disorder has now been appropriately reclassified and is known as ‘Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease’ (MASLD).
Growing burden
- MASH (Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis), a progressive form that causes liver inflammation and scarring, is expected to become the most common cause of chronic liver disease and the leading indication for liver transplantation.
- The global prevalence of MASLD is estimated at 25-30%. In 2022, a meta-analysis revealed that in India, among adults, the pooled prevalence of fatty liver was 38.6%, while among obese children, it was around 36%.
- There is a close link between fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and abnormal cholesterol levels.
- Individuals with these conditions have high MASLD prevalence rates: 55.5%-59.7% for diabetes, 64.6%-95% for obesity, and 73% for severe metabolic syndrome.
- Consuming excessive carbohydrates, especially refined carbs and sugars, worsens these conditions by causing metabolic problems.
- When the body has too much glucose, it increases insulin production to help cells absorb the glucose.
- However, constantly eating too many carbs causes persistently high insulin levels, leading to insulin resistance, where cells become less responsive to insulin.
- Insulin resistance disrupts normal metabolism and promotes the conversion of excess glucose into fatty acids, which are then stored in the liver.
- The liver cells fill up with fat, leading to fatty liver. Over time, this continuous damage affects the liver’s ability to function properly, progressing from simple fatty liver to more severe conditions like such as steatohepatitis and cirrhosis, which are hallmarks of MASLD, and may require a liver transplant.
- Despite this growing burden of fatty liver disease, it often goes undetected as there is usually no warning or symptom in the early stages.
- Diagnosis is usually made at an advanced stage, often when significant liver damage has already occurred.
- The key to early diagnosis is simple — a comprehensive health screening that includes a thorough history, physical examination, blood tests, and an ultrasound of the abdomen.
- Physical examination will include height, weight, body mass index (BMI), abdominal girth, and waist-to-hip ratio to assess visceral fat, which is an important marker of metabolic health.
- An ultrasound of the abdomen is an important test to screen for liver disease and an important first step to diagnose fatty liver.
- Advanced liver tests will include liver fibrosis assessment to look for liver scarring, most accurately done by using newer technologies such as vibration-controlled transient elastography.
- This is a simple non-invasive tool and it measures liver stiffness to assess early stages of liver fibrosis. It can also be used to regularly monitor the progression and responses to treatment.
- Together, these tools — ultrasound, comprehensive metabolic screening, and elastography — form an integrated approach to effectively detect and manage liver diseases at an early stage.
Conclusion
The liver is a ‘silent organ’ that typically does not exhibit noticeable signs of damage until it reaches an advanced stage. It is important that we are aware of the impact our lifestyle choices make in the long run. We need to take active control of our health, be aware of what we consume, and go for frequent screenings because the groundwork for a happy life begins with good health.
Editorial 2 : Elephants call each other by name, study suggests
Context
Elephants are highly intelligent, have keen memory, are known for their problem-solving skills, and engage in complicated behaviour while socialising.
Intriguing phenomenon
- Over the years, researchers who study elephants have noticed an intriguing phenomenon.
- Sometimes, when an elephant makes a vocalisation to a group of other elephants, all of them respond.
- Yet, sometimes, when that same elephant makes a similar call to the group, only a single individual responds.
- Could it be that elephants address each other by the equivalent of a name? A new study involving wild African savannah elephants in Kenya supports this idea.
- The researchers analysed vocalisations — mostly rumbles generated by elephants using their vocal cords, similar to how people speak — made by more than 100 elephants in Amboseli National Park and Samburu National Reserve.
- Using a machine-learning model, researchers identified what appeared to be a name-like component in these calls identifying a specific elephant as the intended addressee.
- The study’s findings indicate elephants “address one another with something like a name”, according to behavioural ecologist.
- Certainly, in order to address one another in this way, elephants must learn to associate particular sounds with particular individuals and then use those sounds to get the attention of the individual in question, which requires sophisticated learning ability and understanding of social relationships.
- The fact that elephants address one another as individuals highlights the importance of social bonds — and specifically, maintaining many different social bonds — for these animals.
- Elephants are the planet’s largest land animals and are highly intelligent. They are known for keen memory, their problem-solving skills, and sophisticated communication.
- Previous research has shown that they engage in complicated behaviour — visual, acoustic, and tactile gestures — when greeting each other.
Other behaviour of elephants
- Matriarchal Structure: Elephant herds are typically led by a matriarch, usually the oldest and most experienced female. She guides the group’s movements, finding food and water sources and leading them to safety.
- Family Bonds: Elephants form strong familial bonds, with females often staying in the same herd for life. Sisters, aunts, and cousins often support each other in raising calves.
- Communications: Elephants communicate through a variety of vocalizations, including trumpets, rumbles, and growls. They also use body language and tactile cues, such as touching trunks or rubbing against each other.
- Social Learning: Young elephants learn essential behaviors from their elders, such as where to find food and water, how to interact with other animals, and even how to use tools.
- Cooperation: Elephants exhibit cooperative behaviors, such as caring for injured or sick herd members, protecting calves, and assisting each other in challenging situations, like crossing rivers or defending against predators.
- Hierarchy: While matriarchs often lead the herd, there can be a hierarchical structure within the group based on age, experience, and social connections. Younger elephants may defer to older, more dominant individuals.
- Mourning and Empathy: Elephants show signs of mourning for deceased herd members, often staying with the body, touching it with their trunks, and exhibiting signs of distress. They also demonstrate empathy, comforting distressed individuals and helping injured or struggling herd members.
Conclusion
By safeguarding these magnificent animals, we not only preserve a keystone species crucial for ecosystem balance but also honor their rich emotional lives and intricate social structures. Conservation efforts aimed at protecting elephants and their habitats are essential to ensure their continued existence for future generations to appreciate and learn from.
