England is on track to become one of the first countries in the world to eliminate hepatitis C, a dangerous virus that attacks the liver, figures show.
The target of treating 80% of all known cases has already been met, and deaths from the virus have fallen by 36% in the last decade, just short of what is needed by 2030.
Taking antiviral tablets for 8 to 12 weeks can cure more than 95% of cases.
Initiatives including A&E blood tests, GP registration testing and free at-home tests have helped to find people who were previously undiagnosed, says NHS England.
Silent diseaseHepatitis C is spread through contact with blood infected with the virus, such as by sharing needles with someone who has it.
Donor blood is already screened for it.
It is a silent disease, meaning people often have no symptoms until much later.

​TO CONTINUE STORY: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c75gk620r22o

​Researchers at McMaster University have uncovered an unexpected role for a naturally occurring hormone already known for reducing appetite and supporting weight loss. The hormone appears to protect the liver from inflammation through a previously unknown signaling pathway, a finding that could point toward new approaches for treating advanced fatty liver disease.
The study, published in Cell Metabolism on August 10, 2026, found that GDF15 can reduce liver inflammation and slow the development of liver scarring even when weight loss does not occur. The result challenges the long-held view that the hormone's benefits are primarily tied to its effects on appetite and body weight.

A New Target for Advanced Fatty Liver Disease

Millions of people around the world are affected by metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), an advanced form of fatty liver disease that can eventually lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure. New weight loss medications have helped improve outcomes for many patients, but inflammation in the liver can remain even after substantial weight loss.

By identifying a biological pathway that directly regulates this inflammation, the new findings suggest that future therapies could potentially target liver inflammation alongside existing treatments focused on weight and liver fat.

"Our findings show that GDF15 does much more than regulate appetite and body weight," says Gregory Steinberg, professor in McMaster University's Department of Medicine, co-director of the Centre for Metabolism, Obesity and Diabetes Research (MODR), and senior author of the study. "We discovered that GDF15 activates a natural brain-to-liver signaling pathway that helps suppress liver inflammation and reduce fibrosis. This changes how we think about the hormone and suggests it may be part of the body's own defense system against chronic liver injury."
Researchers at McMaster University have uncovered an unexpected role for a naturally occurring hormone already known for reducing appetite and supporting weight loss. The hormone appears to protect the liver from inflammation through a previously unknown signaling pathway, a finding that could point toward new approaches for treating advanced fatty liver disease.
The study, published in Cell Metabolism on August 10, 2026, found that GDF15 can reduce liver inflammation and slow the development of liver scarring even when weight loss does not occur. The result challenges the long-held view that the hormone's benefits are primarily tied to its effects on appetite and body weight.

A New Target for Advanced Fatty Liver Disease

Millions of people around the world are affected by metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), an advanced form of fatty liver disease that can eventually lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure. New weight loss medications have helped improve outcomes for many patients, but inflammation in the liver can remain even after substantial weight loss.

By identifying a biological pathway that directly regulates this inflammation, the new findings suggest that future therapies could potentially target liver inflammation alongside existing treatments focused on weight and liver fat.

"Our findings show that GDF15 does much more than regulate appetite and body weight," says Gregory Steinberg, professor in McMaster University's Department of Medicine, co-director of the Centre for Metabolism, Obesity and Diabetes Research (MODR), and senior author of the study. "We discovered that GDF15 activates a natural brain-to-liver signaling pathway that helps suppress liver inflammation and reduce fibrosis. This changes how we think about the hormone and suggests it may be part of the body's own defense system against chronic liver injury."

TO CONTINUE READING:  ​https://www.mdlinx.com/news/this-weight-loss-hormone-may-protect-the-liver-even-without-weight-loss/30Q3RUmIVLLcHyL6ioMQfh?show_order=6&utm_campaign=reg_daily-alert_20260825_daily-nl-am-v4_registered-users-a180_other&utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_content=MorningDaily

What to know
A new CDC study shows that treating hepatitis C can save substantial dollars in medical costs, in addition to saving lives and averting suffering.
SummaryA new CDC study finds that providing curative treatment for hepatitis C could result in billions of dollars in medical cost savings, in addition to the known benefits of averting substantial human suffering and saving lives.
This study was published in the journal BMC Health Services Research.

TO CONTINUE:https://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/whats-new/hepatitis-c-treatment-saves.html​