Dr. Sonja K. Olsen with a patient
According to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE), individuals with risk factors such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or metabolic syndrome should be screened for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
It is estimated that about 25 percent of the U.S. population has NAFLD and as many as 55 percent of patients with diabetes have NAFLD. The vast majority of patients with NAFLD, nearly 96 percent, are unaware they have the chronic disease. When left untreated, NAFLD can result in hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver cancer or even death.
The AACE recently released new guidelines for the early screening and diagnosis of NAFLD, hoping to mitigate its progression and raise awareness of NAFLD with primary care physicians, endocrinologists and other health professionals, and to allow for earlier identification, disease management and referrals to specialists. If NAFLD is detected and managed early, it is possible to prevent it from progressing and could reduce the amount of damage and fat in the liver.
Dr. Sonja K. Olsen, a board-certified gastroenterologist and hepatologist, is familiar with the AACE’s updated screening for NAFLD. She offers a comprehensive assessment at Tampa General Hospital (TGH) Digestive Health Center, formerly TGH Gastro Group of the Palm Beaches. The pain-free screening consists of a FibroScan, a noninvasive diagnostic device used to measure the fat content of the liver, and liver stiffness, which is a marker for scarring.
“This new, advanced preventative measure available through TGH Digestive Health Center offers patients a greater opportunity to detect and treat nonalcoholic fatty liver disease as soon as possible,” said Dr. Olsen. “Our goal is to provide the most up-to-date and comprehensive information to our patients, and to give them the greatest level of comfort and reassurance.”
Dr. Olsen’s vast expertise in treating all stages of liver disease and her unique credentials are why more and more local primary doctors and endocrinologists refer their patients with NAFLD to her care. She is Palm Beach County’s only transplant hepatologist and brings more than a decade of experience in providing world-class digestive and liver care, and specializes in liver disease and disorders, including those related to NAFLD. Dr. Olsen is the only physician in the Palm Beach County region with specialized expertise in the management of patients with end-stage liver disease, both before and after liver transplantation. She treats patients with colon, liver and bile duct cancer; gallbladder disease; alcohol-related and nonalcohol-related liver disease; drug-related liver injury; and all forms of hepatitis.
Dr. Olsen is a member of the American Gastroenterological Association, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. She was the chief resident at NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, and previously served as an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, and assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU. Dr. Olsen has also served as co-director of the Medicine Sub-Internship clerkship at Weill Cornell, and as the program director for Advanced Fellowship in Transplant Hepatology at NYU.
TGH is creating a framework of state-of-the-art services for patients in the Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast areas. For nearly two decades, TGH has been named one of the Nation’s Best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, and TGH is ranked #1 in Florida and among the top 20 in the nation for Gastroenterology & GI Surgery. As Florida’s leading academic health system for more than 50 years, TGH is the primary teaching affiliate of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.
Today, more than 700 medical school residents and fellows at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine receive specialty training at TGH, one of the largest academic health systems in the state, in areas ranging from general internal medicine to neurosurgery. In addition, medical, nursing, pharmacy and physical therapy students all receive part of their training at TGH. Faculty admit and care for patients at TGH, as do private practice physicians, many of whom also serve as adjunct clinical faculty.
A doctor’s order is needed for the NAFLD screening, and patients with high-risk factors are encouraged to contact their primary care provider or endocrinologist to determine if a screening is appropriate.
TGH Digestive Health Center, formerly TGH Gastro Group of the Palm Beaches, has offices at 2001 N. Flagler Drive, West Palm Beach, FL 33407, and 3401 PGA Blvd., Suite 500, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410. Both offices can be reached by calling (561) 659-6543.
