Newsletter No. 481

糖尿病人罹患非酒精性脂肪肝研究 Prevalence and Progression of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in Diabetic Patients 醫學院近日完成全球最大型有關糖尿病人罹患非酒精性脂肪肝的流行病學研究。在消化疾 病研究所主任陳力元教授（ 下右 ）、內科及藥物治療學系腸胃及肝臟科教授黃煒燊醫生（ 下 中 ）與內分泌及糖尿科副教授江碧珊醫生（ 下左 ）的領導下，研究團隊於2013至2014年間， 運用肝纖維化掃描器為1,918名糖尿病患者（非經常飲酒、非乙型或丙型肝炎患者）進行肝 臟脂肪及纖維化檢測，發現73%的參與者患有脂肪肝，其中每五名患者，就有一人出現嚴重 肝纖維化或肝硬化，相關研究已刊載於醫學期刊 Gut 。 非酒精性脂肪肝是全球最常見的慢性肝臟疾病。香港脂肪肝患者佔成年人口約百分之二十 七，而非酒精性脂肪肝在糖尿病患者中尤為普遍，估計全港現時至少有二十五萬名糖尿病 人正受脂肪肝問題影響。 肥胖、膽固醇水準異常、長期糖尿病患、以及出現蛋白尿等情況，均與嚴重肝臟疾病相關， 糖尿病更是預測非酒精性脂肪肝病人患上肝硬化及肝癌的最準確指標之一。研究團隊建 議糖尿病患者接受非酒精性脂肪肝篩檢，以便及早確診、接受適當治療，防止病情惡化及出 現併發症。此外，培養健康飲食習慣、少飲用高糖分飲料以及定期運動，均可預防或降低患 非酒精性脂肪肝的風險。中大肝臟護理中心設立了電話熱線（3151 5600），方便市民查詢 有關肝纖維化掃描的詳情。 The Faculty of Medicine has conducted the world’s largest scale study on the prevalence and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in diabetic patients. In 2013–14, under the leadership of Prof. Chan Lik-yuen Henry (below right), Director of the Institute of Digestive Disease, Prof. Wong Wai-sun Vincent (below centre) and Prof. Kong Pik-shan Alice (below left) from the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, the team has screened 1,918 diabetic patients with the FibroScan machine to measures the latter’s liver fat and fibrosis. Those with drinking habits, viral hepatitis B and C were excluded from the study. Among the screened patients, 73% were found to have fatty liver and nearly one out of five has severe liver fibrosis or cirrhosis. The research results have been published in the medical journal Gut . Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is currently the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. In Hong Kong, the disease is affecting around 27% of the adult population and is particularly common among diabetic patients—it is estimated that about 250,000 diabetic patients in Hong Kong are affected by the fatty liver disease. NAFLD screening is therefore recommended by the CUHK team to all diabetic patients, in order to allow these patients to identify the disease at an early stage and to prevent disease progression and liver complication. Last but not least, obesity, abnormal cholesterol levels, a long history of diabetes, and albuminuria are all found to be related to severe liver disease. In order to prevent NAFLD, it is important to maintain a balanced diet, reduce the intake of sugary beverages and exercise regularly. The CUHK Centre for Liver Health has also set up a public hotline (3151 5600) for those who wish to know more about NAFLD screening. 氣象專家雲集中大參加國際臨近預報研討會 International Nowcasting Symposium at CUHK 環境、能源及可持續發展研究所聯同世界氣象組織世界天氣研究計劃、香港天文台及香港氣象 學會，於7月25至29日在中大合辦「世界氣象組織世界天氣研究計劃第四屆國際臨近預報及超 短期預報專題研討會」。 該研討會首次在亞洲地區舉行，大會邀得世界氣象組織秘書處及研究司大氣研究和環境分司 Alexander Baklanov教授（前排右七）、世界氣象組織世界天氣研究計劃臨近預報及中尺度 研究工作小組聯合主席Jeanette Onvlee博士（前排左六）、香港天文台台長及世界氣象組織 航空氣象學委員會主席岑智明先生（前排左七）與中大協理副校長及環境、能源及可持續發展 研究所副所長馮通教授（前排右八)擔任開幕禮的主禮嘉賓。 臨近預報和中尺度數值模式是現今最受重視的氣象研究課題之一，目的是預測未來數小時出 現、具重大影響的天氣變化，並為用戶提供相關的預報服務。 馮教授致歡迎辭時表示：「惡劣天氣事件的發生嚴重影響我們的社會和經濟活動，而惡劣天氣 事件的臨近預報及超短期預報，對預報員和決策制定者仍然是一個挑戰，因此提高此類短期預 報的準確性對社會意義重大。」 研討會的其中一個專題為航空臨近預報，專門討論世界氣象組織的「航空研究示範項目」。項 目的培訓工作坊於7月20至22日在中大舉行，約三十位參加者接受關於最新的臨近預報及中尺 度模式技術培訓，針對航空業界對零至六小時臨近預報的需求，提高航空氣象服務的能力。 Jointly organized by CUHK’s Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability (IEES), the World Meteorological Organization’s World Weather Research Programme (WMO WWRP), the Hong Kong Observatory, and the Hong Kong Meteorological Society, the ‘WMO WWRP 4th International Symposium on Nowcasting and Very-short-range Forecast 2016’ (WSN16 symposium) was held from 25 to 29 July at CUHK. The WSN16 symposium was held in Asia for the first time. Its opening ceremony was officiated by Professor Alexander Baklanov (1st row, 7th right), WMO Secretariat, Atmospheric Research and Environment Branch, Research Department; Dr. Jeanette Onvlee (1st row, 6th left), Co-chair of the WMO WWRP, Nowcasting and Mesoscale Research Working Group (NMRWG); Mr. Shun Chi-ming (1st row, 7th left), Director of the Hong Kong Observatory of the HKSAR Government, and President of WMO Commission for Aeronautical Meteorology; and Prof. Fung Tung (1st row, 8th right), Associate Vice-President of CUHK and Associate Director of IEES. Nowcasting and mesoscale numerical modelling are currently among the most active research areas in meteorology, with an objective of predicting high impact weather a few hours in advance and providing relevant forecasting services to the end-users. ‘Severe weather events often lead to the disruption of social and economic activities. However, forecasters and decision makers are still encountering many challenges over the accuracy of nowcasting and very-short-range prediction of severe weather events. The advancement in the accuracy of short-term forecasts is thus crucial as it will bring significant benefit to the society,’ remarked Professor Fung at the Opening Ceremony. A special theme of the WSN16 symposium is Aviation Nowcasting, in particular the WMO’s Aviation Research Demonstration Project (AvRDP). A capacity building training workshop on AvRDP was also held from 20 to 22 July at CUHK. Around 30 participants learned about the latest nowcasting and mesoscale modelling technology in response to the aviation industry’s need for the advancement of aviation meteorological services in the 0-6 hour nowcasting time frame. # 4 8 1 | 1 9 . 0 8 . 2 0 1 6 06