Metabolic and Clinical Perspectives on the Functions of the Liver

This book describes how the liver executes and coordinates numerous physiological processes including metabolism, innate immunity, blood coagulation, bile secretion, and our symbiotic relation with the gut microbiome. It places the functions in clinical contexts, such as the pathogenesis of alcohol-related liver disease and metabolic (obesity) associated liver disease. It describes how in severe catabolic diseases such as cancer and sepsis, the liver redistributes bodily resources to increase chances of survival and recovery, and how the liver exemplifies many of the effects of diet and physical activity on health and wellbeing, via its regulation of glucose, lipid and cholesterol metabolism, and inflammation. The book is for professionals working in gastroenterology, hepatology, metabolic disorders, and many other medical disciplines, and for scientists and curious students of medicine, nutrition and biosciences.