Journal of general internal medicine
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To identify preventive care measures that are appropriate for and specific to patients with chronic liver disease and to provide recommendations and information that can be shared with patients. ⋯ Preventive care can play an important role in patients with chronic liver diseases. Based on the existing data, the preventive strategies of alcohol avoidance, hepatitis vaccination, avoidance of NSAIDs nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, iron supplementation when appropriate, and a low-fat diet are prudent in patients with chronic liver disease. Once cirrhosis develops, screening for hepatocellular cancer with alpha-fetoprotein testing and ultrasound, and screening for varices by endoscopy are justified.