What you need to know about liver cirrhosis

No body organ performs a wider variety of essential jobs than the liver. It:

* Produces essential proteins that help blood to clot
* Removes or neutralizes poisons, drugs and alcohol
* Manufactures bile that helps the body to absorb fats and cholesterol
* Helps to maintain normal blood sugar levels
* Regulates several hormones

Cirrhosis is a disease in which normal liver cells are replaced by scar tissue, which interferes with all of these important functions. In extreme cases, the damage is so severe that the only solution is a liver transplant. Cirrhosis is the eighth leading cause of death by disease in the United States, killing 25,000 people each year. It impairs thousands of other people as the liver gradually loses its ability to function.

Cirrhosis has many causes. In the United States and Europe, the most common causes are excessive alcohol use and chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus.

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FDA Calls for Tougher Warnings on OTC Painkillers

TUESDAY, Dec. 19 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. authorities are proposing stricter warning labels for popular over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin and Tylenol.

The warnings, which would address the potential for stomach bleeding as well as liver damage, would apply to acetaminophen products such as Tylenol as well as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve) and ketoprofen (Oruvail).

Many product manufacturers already have voluntary warnings on their labels.

The new rule would make the warnings mandatory, would require the warnings to be more prominently displayed and would require standardized language, Dr. Charles Ganley, director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Office of Nonprescription Products, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said during a Tuesday afternoon teleconference.

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