BIO

Anthony Derencius, PA-C is a former U.S. Army medic and a 2010 honor graduate of the military’s Interservice Physician Assistant Program. During his 11 years in the Army, he provided care to patients and soldiers around the world, including deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.

After leaving the Army, PA-C Derencius focused his clinical career in the gastroenterology and hepatology field. He has worked in private practice GI in Hawaii and in both general and transplant hepatology in San Antonio, gaining extensive outpatient and inpatient experience. In 2024, he joined Pinnacle Clinical Research, bringing a wealth of clinical expertise to his role as an investigator in many clinical trials for MASLD and other liver diseases.

In 2018, he completed a one-year American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) Foundation NP/PA Clinical Hepatology Fellowship. He is also an active member of several medical societies, including the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) and the AASLD.

MASLD-MASH Content Featuring Anthony

Related Content

Serological Workup: A Step-by-Step Guide

July 2025

In this comprehensive video, Sherona Bau, NP from UCLA, breaks down the essential hepatology workup for patients with MASLD (formerly NAFLD) and MASH, offering guidance for both primary care providers and GI/hepatology specialists. Drawing from her extensive clinical experience, she outlines a systematic approach to evaluating abnormal liver ultrasound findings—starting with critical labs to rule out chronic liver conditions like hepatitis B, hepatitis C, autoimmune hepatitis, PBC, and hereditary hemochromatosis. Sherona discusses the importance of ordering ANA, AMA, ferritin, serologies, and even specialized labs like the phosphatidylethanol (PEth) test to uncover alcohol-related liver disease that may be overlooked. She emphasizes the need to screen for cardiometabolic risk factors including type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia and highlights non-invasive tests such as FibroScan and FIB-4 to help identify patients at risk of advanced fibrosis who may benefit from specialist referral. Most importantly, Sherona addresses the fears many patients face around liver disease progression and life expectancy, encouraging early intervention and coordinated care to improve long-term outcomes. This video is a must-watch for any clinician managing steatotic liver disease.

Watch Now arrow

MASH/MASLD in Type 2 Diabetes: Concurrent Medication Management

July 2025

In this informative episode, Whitney Steinmetz, NP from Presbyterian Medical Group in Albuquerque, NM, explores how to optimize medication strategies for patients with type 2 diabetes who are also living with MASLD and MASH. She discusses why individuals with type 2 diabetes are at significantly higher risk for developing advanced liver fibrosis—highlighting the overlapping metabolic, inflammatory, and insulin-resistant pathways that accelerate liver damage. Whitney breaks down how commonly prescribed diabetes medications—like GLP-1 receptor agonists, SGLT2 inhibitors, TZDs, and dual/triple incretins—impact liver fat, inflammation, and fibrosis progression. She offers practical guidance on selecting therapies that balance glycemic control with hepatic benefits while minimizing polypharmacy. Learn which medications may offer dual cardiometabolic and hepatic advantages, and which should be avoided or used with caution in patients with cirrhosis or advanced fibrosis. Tune in for real-world insights into how advanced practice providers can take ownership of MASH management in diabetes care.

Watch Now arrow