Early detection and prompt treatment is key to slowing disease progression in people living with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Measures to manage an often heavy symptom burden can be proactively taken to support quality of life and mental health.
PBC is a rare chronic disease that progressively destroys the small bile ducts within the liver. The resulting build-up of bile in the liver causes scarring of the liver tissue, affecting liver function and leading to fibrosis and cirrhosis, and in severe cases, liver failure. It is an autoimmune disease with no identified cause and no cure that mainly affects women aged 35-55 years. Rates of incidence are reported to vary from 0.33 to 5.8 per 100,000 persons/year.
Thought to be triggered by genetic and environmental factors, there is no evidence that PBC is associated with drug or alcohol consumption. PBC is often difficult to diagnose, as most people are often asymptomatic during the early stages of the disease. However, when symptoms do appear, they can significantly affect daily life.
The two most common symptoms of PBC are fatigue and pruritus, or itchy skin, often predominantly on the hands and feet. Other reported symptoms include brain fog, stomach pain, joint pain and jaundice, as the disease progresses. In particular, chronic sleep disturbance and incessant itching can lead to depression, self-isolation and social and emotional distress.
Learn more about PBC signs and symptoms
Early diagnosis and disease management
Early diagnosis and intervention improves survival outcomes for people living with PBC. With prompt treatment, PBC can become more manageable, and patients can potentially avoid the most serious form of PBC, including end-stage liver failure, which requires a liver transplant.
As there is no cure for PBC, the objective of treatment is primarily to slow disease progression and help to manage symptoms.
Advances in screening and diagnosis have led to more cases of PBC being detected, but long-term survival rates have improved, with the disease being more often diagnosed in its early stages. If first-line treatment, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), is taken in the early stages of the disease, it can slow the progression of PBC and can help delay liver damage.
In parallel to medication, the adoption of a healthy lifestyle and a well-balanced diet that is low in fat and sodium and high in fiber and calcium will support healthy liver function and help to avoid complications of PBC.
