Non-alcoholic liver disease emerges as a big worry; 1 in 5 may have it in some form

MUMBAI: While alcohol led to a 65% increase in deaths due to liver damage in the US in the past 17 years, Indian doctors say non-alcoholic liver disease is emerging as a greater worry in India.
The American study published in BMJ, formerly British Medical Journal, on Thursday also said that the 25-34 age group has the maximum victims of liver disease caused by alcohol.

While there is no equivalent data in India, local doctors say that one in five Indians has some form of liver disease.
“Non-alcoholic fatty liver is one of the biggest problems,” said liver specialist Dr Samir Shah. This could be caused by obesity or diseases such as diabetes or high cholesterol.
“In western India, we see many patients with liver disease from Gujarat which is a ‘dry’ state,” he added.
Liver specialist Dr Aabha Nagral said she sees seven to eight new patients with fatty liver every day. “Most corporate hospitals do health checkup and every other person in these checkups has a fatty liver.”
Moreover, while liver disease is associated with obesity, doctors say there are several thin Indians with fatty livers too. “If a person with the beginning of alcohol-caused liver disease stops drinking, there is a possibility that his organ will regenerate on its own. But there is no such equivalent measure for a non-alcoholic liver disease patient,” said Dr Nagral.
Not every person with a fatty liver develops liver failure though. “Around 20-30% of people with fatty liver will see the same progression as alcoholdamaged liver patients. Their liver will get scarred and there is a risk of developing cirrhosis and subsequently cancer,” said Dr Shah. The problem is pinpointing which of the 20% with fatty liver will develop cirrhosis. As many patients remain asymptomatic for years, there is a high possibility of liver failure being diagnosed too late.
“Liver disease is assuming epidemic proportions in India as well. The World Health Organisation has said that deaths due to liver disease caused by hepatitis viruses is more than the deaths caused by HIV, TB and malaria together,” he said.
In December 2017, Lancet medical journal carried a study that said liver disease would overtake heart disease by 2020 as the leading killer in the UK.
Liver surgeon Dr Anand Khakhar’s Centre for Liver Disease and Transplantation said, “A sedentary lifestyle, increased alcohol consumption and obesity are contributing towards making India the world capital of liver diseases.”