P5916 - Good Food Is Good Medicine: Significant Reductions in Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis in a Midwestern Urban Population Following Participation in a Nutritionally-Focused Community Food Bank Program

Jason C. Truong, DO, MS¹, Amruth A. Alluri, BA²
1HCA Medical City Healthcare UNT-TCU GME (Arlington), Arlington, TX; 2American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Miami, FL

Introduction: Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), a progressive subtype of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), is closely linked to food insecurity and poor dietary intake, particularly in underserved urban populations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, community food banks became critical sources of nutrition support. This study compared clinical outcomes among NASH patients who utilized a nutritionally enhanced food bank vs standard food assistance, all within the same urban safety-net hospital.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted among adults aged 25 to 65 with biopsy-proven or imaging-supported NASH at two urban clinics in Missouri. Participants were grouped based on food bank use over an 18-month period during the COVID-19 pandemic. The intervention group regularly accessed the “Healthy Pantry Partnership” (HPP), a program emphasizing distribution of fresh produce, whole grains, and lean proteins. The comparison group utilized traditional food bank services with no specific nutritional focus. Food assistance use was verified through clinic forms and partner organization records. Clinical endpoints included changes in liver function tests and FibroScan scores. Socioeconomic data were collected at baseline.

Results: A total of 218 patients were included (mean age 49.3; 68% female; 74% identifying as Black or Hispanic), with 119 in the HPP group and 99 in the standard group. At 18-month follow-up, the HPP group showed a 32% reduction in ALT and 28% reduction in AST (p < 0.02), compared to 11% and 9% reductions in the standard group (p = 0.07). FibroScan improvement was observed in 41% of HPP participants versus 19% in the standard group. Regression from advanced fibrosis (≥F2) to F0–F1 occurred in 22% of HPP participants, compared to 8% in the standard group. Mean HOMA-IR decreased from 4.6 to 2.9 in the HPP group (p = 0.02), while the standard group showed minimal change. Food insecurity declined by 47% in the HPP group and by 52% in the standard group. Dietary adherence above 75% was reported by 16% of HPP participants, versus 34% in the standard group.

Discussion: This study demonstrates that targeted, community nutritional interventions can yield clinically meaningful improvements in NASH-related biomarkers and disease severity. Food access should be recognized as a modifiable risk factor in metabolic liver disease management. Integrating food equity into hepatology care may offer a cost-effective public health strategy for mitigating NASH burden in vulnerable populations.

Disclosures:
Jason Truong indicated no relevant financial relationships.
Amruth Alluri indicated no relevant financial relationships.

Jason C. Truong, DO, MS¹, Amruth A. Alluri, BA². P5916 - Good Food Is Good Medicine: Significant Reductions in Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis in a Midwestern Urban Population Following Participation in a Nutritionally-Focused Community Food Bank Program, ACG 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting Abstracts. Phoenix, AZ: American College of Gastroenterology.