Nutrition in alcoholic steatohepatitis: more of the same or something new?
OBJECTIVE
To describe the evidences for and against the different nutritional and nonnutritional therapeutic approaches for severe alcoholic steatohepatitis, based on data from randomized controlled trials, in order to answer the question posed in the title: 'more of the same or something new?'.


RESULTS
Very few papers assessing old or new therapeutic strategies for severe alcoholic steatohepatitis have been published in the last 18 months. In addition, all of them provide negative results. A meta-analysis of the trials using anabolic steroids in alcoholic steatohepatitis confirmed the lack of benefit associated with this therapy. Also, two randomized controlled trials failed to disclose any positive effect of different antioxidant mixture in these patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The answer to the question posed in the title of this review must unfortunately be 'nothing new, but just the same!'.
Cabré
Eduard
E
Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i PujolBadalona, Catalonia, Spain. ecabre.germanstrias@gencat.cat
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000963:Antimetabolites / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005235:Fatty Liver, Alcoholic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy; D005934:Glucagon / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011441:Propylthiouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000596:Amino Acids; D000963:Antimetabolites; D000975:Antioxidants; D007328:Insulin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D011441:Propylthiouracil; D005934:Glucagon