Catherine Mezzacappa, MD, MPH
she/her/hers
InstructorAbout
Research
Publications
2026
Intravenous albumin after outpatient paracentesis reduces risk of AKI hospitalization: A national cohort study
Mahmud N, Schechter M, Zhang S, Mezzacappa C, Ochoa-Allemant P, Kaplan D, Serper M. Intravenous albumin after outpatient paracentesis reduces risk of AKI hospitalization: A national cohort study. Hepatology 2026 DOI: 10.1097/hep.0000000000001739.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAcute kidney injuryAlbumin administrationRetrospective cohort studyLow eGFROutpatient paracentesisParacentesis volumeAKI hospitalizationsPost-paracentesis circulatory dysfunctionLarge-volume paracentesisAssociated with lower oddsReal-world effectivenessNational cohort studyRisk of hospitalizationIV albuminIntravenous albuminMELD-NaIntravascular volumeKidney injuryCirculatory dysfunctionParacentesisCirrhosis cohortCohort studyHepatic encephalopathyLower oddsParacentesis proceduresHealth inequalities in patients with cirrhosis: Investigating the impact of material deprivation on patients’ outcomes
Pasta A, Rossi D, Labanca S, Marenco S, Pieri G, Mezzacappa C, Strazzabosco M, Giannini E. Health inequalities in patients with cirrhosis: Investigating the impact of material deprivation on patients’ outcomes. Digestive And Liver Disease 2026, 58: 517-526. PMID: 41720670, DOI: 10.1016/j.dld.2026.01.225.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMaterial deprivationImpact of material deprivationPatient outcomesFollow-up adherenceOverall survivalClinical outcomesHealth inequalitiesAssociated with worse prognosisSocial determinantsResidential addressesHealthcare settingsHigher MDUniversal coverageImpact of MDCirrhosis diagnosisHepatic decompensationWorse prognosisDecompensation episodesDisease stageCirrhosisCompensated diseasePatientsHospitalOutcomesSurvivalSteatotic Liver Disease has Surpassed Viral Hepatitis as the Leading Cause of Cirrhosis in the US Veterans Health System.
Ochoa-Allemant P, Kiran A, Mezzacappa C, Kaplan D, Mahmud N. Steatotic Liver Disease has Surpassed Viral Hepatitis as the Leading Cause of Cirrhosis in the US Veterans Health System. The American Journal Of Gastroenterology 2026 PMID: 41705703, DOI: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000003966.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchRetrospective cohort studyLiver diseaseSteatotic liver diseaseVeterans Health AdministrationVeterans Health SystemLeading causeBurden of cirrhosisPopulation-level estimatesRetrospective cohort study of patientsMetabolic risk factorsHepatitis C virus cirrhosisCohort study of patientsAlcohol-associated liver diseaseCause of cirrhosisHealth systemStudy of patientsHealth AdministrationLiver disease casesAlcohol useEpidemiological shiftCirrhosis incidenceIncident cirrhosisRisk factorsViral hepatitisCirrhosisNeighborhood-level socioeconomic disadvantage and pancreatic cancer among veterans
Levinson R, Bushman R, Mezzacappa C, Tate J, Justice A, Wang L. Neighborhood-level socioeconomic disadvantage and pancreatic cancer among veterans. JNCI Cancer Spectrum 2026, 10: pkag012. PMID: 41644414, PMCID: PMC12975324, DOI: 10.1093/jncics/pkag012.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAgedCarcinoma, Pancreatic DuctalFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeighborhood CharacteristicsPancreatic NeoplasmsProportional Hazards ModelsResidence CharacteristicsRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsSocial ClassSocial Determinants of HealthSocioeconomic Disparities in HealthSocioeconomic FactorsUnited StatesUnited States Department of Veterans AffairsVeteransConceptsADI percentilesNeighborhood-level socioeconomic statusNeighborhood-level socioeconomic disadvantageVeterans Health AdministrationSocioeconomic disadvantageIndividual-level social determinants of healthHealth AdministrationSocioeconomic statusSocial determinants of healthADI groupsArea Deprivation IndexDeterminants of healthNeighborhood-level disadvantageHealth-care systemDeprivation indexRetrospective cohort studyAssociated with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomaCohort studyVeteransIndex groupPercentileMultivariate analysisStatusAdenocarcinoma diagnosisPancreatic cancerAssociation of change in healthy lifestyle in early adulthood with steatotic liver disease risk in midlife
Chen Y, Zhao L, Mezzacappa C, Steffen L, Carr J, Gao T, Terry J, Qu Y, Bae S, Taddei T, Justice A, Jacobs D, Lloyd-Jones D, Hou L, Zhang X. Association of change in healthy lifestyle in early adulthood with steatotic liver disease risk in midlife. Clinical Gastroenterology And Hepatology 2026 PMID: 41620192, DOI: 10.1016/j.cgh.2026.01.019.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHealthy lifestyle scoreHealthy lifestyleUnhealthy lifestyleLifestyle scoreHealthy behaviorsAbsolute riskBenefits of healthy behavioursRelative riskCoronary Artery Risk DevelopmentMultivariate adjusted relative riskHealthy lifestyle changesAdjusted relative risksEarly adulthoodYoung adultsLiver disease riskSteatotic liver diseasePhysical activityGenetic predispositionNon-contrast abdominal computed tomographyDietary qualityRisk DevelopmentLifestyle changesAlcohol intakeGenetic riskAbdominal computed tomography
2025
Changes in Liver Disease Etiology Support a Lower Alpha-Fetoprotein Threshold for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Screening
Kim N, Li M, Vutien P, Mecham B, Borgerding J, Swarts K, Atuluru P, Michel M, Barnard Giustini A, Mezzacappa C, Berry K, VoPham T, Marsh T, Feng Z, Johnson K, Beste L, Kaplan D, Taddei T, Ioannou G. Changes in Liver Disease Etiology Support a Lower Alpha-Fetoprotein Threshold for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Screening. Gastroenterology 2025, 170: 606-618. PMID: 41236449, DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2025.08.021.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAlcohol-associated liver diseaseHepatocellular carcinoma screeningAlpha-fetoprotein thresholdsAlpha-fetoproteinHepatocellular carcinoma diagnosisHepatocellular carcinomaVeterans Health Administration patientsLiver diseaseMedian alpha-fetoproteinSerum alpha-fetoproteinAbstractText Label="Background &United Network for Organ Sharing dataUnited Network for Organ SharingLiver disease etiologyVeterans Health AdministrationOrgan Sharing dataAbstractText Label="ConclusionsCarcinoma screeningSteatotic liver diseaseCirrhosisTest characteristicsOrgan SharingTest sensitivityPatientsDisease etiologyPancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma After Hepatitis C Infection
Levinson R, Bushman R, Tate J, Skanderson M, Mezzacappa C, Park L, Brandt C, Schuster K, Ketwaroo G, Yang Y, Justice A, Wang L. Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma After Hepatitis C Infection. JAMA Network Open 2025, 8: e2543701. PMID: 41236736, PMCID: PMC12619103, DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.43701.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsVeterans Health AdministrationChronic hepatitis C virusPancreatic ductal adenocarcinomaChronic HCV infectionHepatitis C virusHepatitis C virus genotype 3Cohort studyHepatitis C virus infectionHepatitis C virus genotypePopulation-based cohort studyHCV infectionCohort study of veteransIncident pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomaHepatitis C virus testingCox proportional hazards regressionStudy of veteransRisk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomaHigh riskProportional hazards regressionDuctal adenocarcinomaExposure to hepatitis C virusGenotype 2Genotype 3Hepatitis C virus exposureHepatitis C virus statusAntibiotic Prophylaxis in Variceal Hemorrhage—Time to Stop?
Mezzacappa C, Garcia-Tsao G. Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Variceal Hemorrhage—Time to Stop? JAMA Internal Medicine 2025, 185: 1204-1205. PMID: 40788611, DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2025.3841.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPrognostic significance of mild ascites in patients with cirrhosis
Lugon N, Rabiee A, Mezzacappa C, Kaplan D, Taddei T, Garcia-Tsao G. Prognostic significance of mild ascites in patients with cirrhosis. Hepatology 2025, 83: 827-837. PMID: 40607762, DOI: 10.1097/hep.0000000000001452.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMild ascitesMultivariate Cox proportional hazards analysisMedian follow-up timeGrade 1Associated with poor survivalCox proportional hazards analysisKaplan-Meier methodRetrospective cohort studyDiagnosis of cirrhosisProportional hazards analysisGrade of ascitesHigher hazard of mortalityOvert ascitesGrade 2/3Median survivalHazard of mortalityPrognostic significancePrognostic stageDecompensated cirrhosisImaging ReportingDecompensation eventsPoor survivalCohort studyAscitesCirrhosisSyphilitic Hepatitis: An Atypical Presentation of an Uncommon Disease
Gleason-Vergados J, Cao Y, Chipkin B, Mezzacappa C, Zhang X, Dunne D. Syphilitic Hepatitis: An Atypical Presentation of an Uncommon Disease. Annals Of Internal Medicine Clinical Cases 2025, 4 DOI: 10.7326/aimcc.2024.1364.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
News
News
- November 17, 2025
Chronic Hepatitis C Linked to Increased Risk of Pancreatic Cancer, New Study Shows
- September 10, 2024
Liver Cancer Screening Post-Hep C Cure Improves Survival
- September 19, 2023
Liver Center Retreat Highlights Breadth of Liver Research at Yale
- August 01, 2023
Fellow Focus in Four: Catherine Mezzacappa, MD, MPH, Digestive Diseases