UK faces surge in fatty liver disease - eight major risk factors listed

15 June 2024 , 10:47

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Liver disease is usually seen in people who are overweight or obese (Image: Getty Images)

Experts are warning against a wave of diabetes and liver disease due to high rates of obesity in the UK.

Liver disease is more commonly found in people with type 2 diabetes or people who are obese and the British Liver Trust (BLT) says there is an “increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes and obesity,” which could bring an liver disease “tsunami.”

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is a blanket term for a “range of conditions caused by a build-up of fat in the liver,” the NHS said, adding that it is “usually seen in people who are overweight or obese.”

Data from the BLT says that around two-thirds of people with type-2 diabetes have NAFLD (Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF)

There are eight risk factors for NAFLD, according to the BLT.

They are:

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• A weight in the overweight or obese range
• A high waist measurement
• Type 2 diabetes
• A diet with too many unhealthy foods and drinks
• Low levels of physical activity or spending a lot of time sitting down
• High blood lipids such as cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Other conditions linked to insulin resistance for example polycystic ovary syndrome

NAFLD is also known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

Data from the BLT says that around two-thirds of people with type 2 diabetes have NAFLD.

NAFLD is not harmful at first, the NHS said, and “it's possible to stop NAFLD getting worse and reduce the amount of fat in your liver.”

But unchecked, it can develop into cirrhosis and “serious liver damage,” according to the health service. Symptoms in the early stages of NAFLD do not usually arise, but more advanced stages cause:

• a dull or aching pain in the top right of the tummy (over the lower right side of the ribs)

• extreme tiredness

• unexplained weight loss

• weakness

According to The Sun, Vanessa Hebditch from the BLT said: “There is a need for greater awareness of the link between diabetes and liver disease.

"It is well known that type 2 diabetes can increase the risk of many health issues including cardiovascular and kidney disease but it can also significantly raise your risk of fatty liver disease.”

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The charity Diabetes UK called on political parties to “commit to tackling the alarming rise in cases of type 2 diabetes among people aged under 40 years”, in a report released in May.

The charity’s data said there was a 40 percent uptick in type 2 diabetes diagnoses between 2016-17 and 2022-23.

Children in poorer areas are also more at risk and five times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than children in less deprived areas.

The charity said in its report: “Our new figures show that there are nearly 4.4 million people in the UK who live with a diagnosis of diabetes as of 2022-23.

“Approximately 8% of these cases are type 1 diabetes, and 90% are type 2 diabetes. The other types of diabetes make up the remaining 2%.

"There are more than 1.2 million people who may be living with type 2 diabetes and have not yet been diagnosed. This means that more than 5.6 million people now live with diabetes in the UK. "

Long-term liver damage caused by fatty liver disease - linked to issues such as obesity - can cause scar tissue known as 'cirrhosis' to build up, which increases the chances of cancer developing.

Benjamin Lynch