Medical research in liver and cardiac disease

Medical research has recently focused on advancements in treating and diagnosing liver and heart conditions. In Cuba, researchers from the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology of Sancti Spíritus published a study on the effectiveness of a prebiotic called ‘KestoMix’ for treating metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease by targeting intestinal microbiota.

In parallel, an international study involving the Quirónsalud Teknon Heart Institute introduced ‘PVCuRe’, a machine-learning tool designed to predict cardiac recovery following the ablation of ventricular extrasystoles. This tool aims to differentiate between heart deterioration caused by irregular beats and underlying cardiac disease.

Further developments in liver disease research, part of the international LITMUS program, have focused on non-invasive diagnostic tools for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Studies published in The Lancet and Nature Medicine indicate that combining the SOMAScan proteomic panel with magnetic resonance elastography and FibroScan tests provides high precision for identifying advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis, offering potential alternatives to traditional liver biopsies.