[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 8] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 10946] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]TRIBUTE TO THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH ______ HON. MICHAEL K. SIMPSON of idaho in the house of representatives Thursday, May 22, 2008 Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to call attention to a potentially serious liver disease that affects a growing number of young people in our society and to commend an outstanding research program that the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), a unit of the National Institutes of Health, is conducting to address it before it creates a major crisis for our population. I am referring to Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, NAFLD. While the name is unwieldy, the concerns are real. We are all aware of the growing epidemic of obesity in young people and the impact that this can have on increased incidence of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. However, few of us realize that obese children often have fat buildup in their livers. This can lead to cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver, and cause serious complications in adolescence or young adulthood. The Liver Disease Research Branch at NIDDK has built a national network of researchers focusing on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, and they have assembled a database that includes information on more than 1,500 adults and children. In addition, this network is doing a study in children that is expected to determine by next year whether sustained treatment with either metformin or vitamin E improves the liver when compared to a placebo. The results will help determine treatment options for children with Fatty Liver Disease. This is an important disease for which NIH is doing exactly what we would hope--addressing a major health issue before it becomes a national crisis. This is yet another example of how our investment in this important agency today saves billions of dollars in future health care spending and prevents untold human suffering. Madam Speaker, this research is one of many examples underscoring the value of our investment in biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health, and I trust that, like me, my colleagues will recognize the positive impact these advancements will have on the health of our Nation. ____________________