15% fatty liver patients vulnerable to cirrhosis, cancer: PGI study

Tribune News Service

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Chandigarh, June 12

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease can result in liver cirrhosis and cancer, states a Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) expert.

Dr Ajay Duseja, Professor in the Department of Hepatology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, said excess fat in the liver (fatty liver) in some patients causes inflammation (swelling) and fibrosis (scarring) in the liver which is technically called as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

“In our study, we have found that there were 15 to 20 per cent patients who were suffering from cryptogenic cirrhosis and cryptogenic liver cancer. Cryptogenic, because we were uncertain about the origin of cirrhosis,” said Dr Duseja.

In a study done in the department three years ago, patients with cryptogenic cirrhosis and cryptogenic liver cancer were found to have higher prevalence of overweight, obesity, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia in comparison to patients with virus hepatitis-associated cirrhosis and liver cancer, informed Dr Duseja.

“Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among obese and diabetics is leading to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), out of which, 15 to 20 percent people are at risk of being afflicted by liver cancer of cirrhosis,” said Dr Duseja.

The doctor had earlier stated that 53 per cent of the city residents were suffering from fatty liver.