Under long-term and repeated stimulation from various causes, a normal liver can develop into cirrhosis. Histologically, cirrhosis is characterized by diffuse liver fibrosis accompanied by collapse of the lobular structure (including microvascular structures) and the formation of pseudolobules, leading to portal hypertension and even liver function decompensation. Professor Hong You's team at Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, was the first in the world to propose a new pathological standard for evaluating the reversal of hepatitis B-induced cirrhosis. This new standard, known internationally as the "Beijing Standard," not only increases the recognition rate of cirrhosis reversal but also changes the clinical practice of requiring two liver biopsies for evaluation. Recently, at the "25th National Academic Conference on Traditional Chinese Medicine for Hepatobiliary Diseases," Hepatology Digest conducted an exclusive interview with Professor Hong You to discuss the diagnosis of cirrhosis reversal and other related issues. Here are the highlights of the interview.

According to statistics, there are currently over 400 million people in China suffering from various liver diseases, with approximately one in three people having chronic liver disease. Hepatitis B patients account for about 24% of this number. Liver diseases have become one of the most prevalent threats to people's health. Chronic liver diseases, such as chronic viral hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, if not treated in a timely and standardized manner, can eventually progress to liver failure or even liver cancer, posing a serious threat to human life and health. With the advancement of medicine, the integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine in China has opened new avenues for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic liver diseases by complementing each other's strengths. Recently, at the 25th National Academic Conference on Traditional Chinese Medicine for Hepatobiliary Diseases organized by the Hepatobiliary Disease Branch of the Chinese Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Professor Yueqiu Gao addressed the advantages and shortcomings of traditional Chinese medicine in treating chronic hepatitis. Hepatology Digest has compiled this discussion for its readers.