The 2025 AASLD/IDSA practice guideline establishes an updated, risk-stratified framework for managing chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Addressing six core PICO questions, the guideline advocates shared decision-making, particularly for patients in clinically indeterminate phases or immune-tolerant states. This updated approach lowers the threshold for treatment initiation by incorporating demographic triggers and non-invasive fibrosis assessments instead of routine liver biopsies. Key recommendations emphasize high-barrier nucleos(t)ide analogues, explicit protocols for perinatal transmission prevention, and defined criteria for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance.

AASLD/IDSA recently published evidence-based practice recommendations, drawing on growing evidence of CHB prevention, surveillance, and treatment, to provide clear, practical guidance for health care professionals in optimizing care for individuals with CHB.

With obesity and metabolic syndrome reaching alarming levels in Malaysia, clinicians are looking beyond conventional approaches to expand the bariatric toolbox. Among the emerging options, intragastric balloons (IGBs) are gaining momentum as a minimally invasive, endoscopic solution to support the initial step in weight loss alongside lifestyle change. At the recent “Intragastric Balloon” workshop hosted by the Department of Surgery, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM) UKM in Kuala Lumpur, leading experts in bariatric innovation shared their perspectives on advancing IGB therapy in clinical practice. 

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a common gut-brain interaction disorder that primarily affects adults and imposes a significant economic burden. Treatment guidelines vary, leading to inconsistencies in management approaches. A randomized, single-blinded trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of subtype-specific treatment vs. empirical proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy in adults with FD. Findings suggest that both treatment approaches significantly improved the overall symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), with no clear advantage of either, over another in FD management.