Aging is a condition in which a person gradually loses the ability to maintain homeostasis, due to structural alteration or dysfunction. Aging is a major risk factor for most chronic diseases. 

The goal of a study published in Current Opinion in Gastroenterology was to assess the effect of aging on clinical liver diseases.

This review was conducted with references to preclinical models, when relevant to the pathogenesis of clinical liver diseases.

The findings suggested that aging has been shown to not only enhance vulnerability to acute liver injury, but also increase susceptibility of the fibrotic response. Aging is associated with the severity and poor prognosis of various liver diseases – including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, hepatitis C and liver transplantation.

In inference, it was stated that treatment of older patients with liver disease may require different or longer interventions. Transplantation of an older liver will be less tolerant of subsequent injury. Aging has been shown to not only enhance vulnerability to acute liver injury but also to increase susceptibility of the fibrotic response. Aging has a significant impact on the risk and poor prognosis of various liver diseases including NAFLD, alcoholic liver disease, hepatitis C and liver transplantation. 

Also, future studies are needed to understand more about the molecular mechanism of aging and contribute to the development of a noble treatment strategy that can block the progression of aging-induced liver diseases.

Source: Current Opinion in Gastroenterology. 2015 May;31(3):184-91. doi: 10.1097/MOG.0000000000000176.