ONE in five young adults in show evidence of fatty liver disease, scientists say.
The disease is characterised by a buildup of fat in the liver caused by alcohol or obesity, usually affecting people from their 40s onwards.
But health research carried out by the University of Bristol found that a large amount of people in their 20s are affected.
The Children of the 90s project has followed tens of thousands of children born in Bristol between 1991 and 1992, assessing their health at ages 17, 24 and now as they turn 30.
Researchers found that 20 per cent of them showed evidence of fatty liver disease at just 24 years old.
Meanwhile, one in 40 – about 2.5 per cent – had more advanced liver disease with scarring.
Now the research team are calling on more adults to come forward for follow-up tests in order to get to the bottom of the problem, the BBC reported.
It comes after studies have sounded the alarm over cases deadly non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have been soaring over the past three decades.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the term for a range of conditions caused by a build-up of fat in the liver, often seen in people who are overweight or obese.
Early-stage NAFLD does not usually cause any harm, but it can lead to serious liver damage, including cirrhosis, if it gets worse.
Having high levels of fat in your liver is also associated with an increased risk of serious health problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease.
According to the British Liver Trust, one in five people in the UK affected by NAFLD.
It said rising rates are tied to surging levels of obesity, as most cases are linked to carrying excess weight.
But you can still develop the condition if you’re at a healthy weight.
What the stages of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease?
THERE are several stages of NAFLD.
Having one stage does not mean you will definitely develop the next one.
Treating NAFLD with a healthy diet, physical activity and weight loss can slow or even reverse it, especially if it is at an earlier stage.
The amount of scarring (fibrosis) in your liver is the main sign of how advanced your NAFLD is. Go to the section about fibrosis tests and scores.
- Fatty liver: There is a build-up of fat in your liver but it has not been damaged and there is no scarring. At this point, NAFLD can be fully reversed.
- Non-alcohol related steatohepatitis (NASH) with mild fibrosis : Fat is causing inflammation and damage in your liver (hepatitis). There is no or very little scarring. Healthy living can undo the damage and reverse your NAFLD.
- NASH with moderate fibrosis: Inflammation and damage have caused some scarring. Your liver is probably still working well and the damage can mostly be repaired.
- NASH with advanced fibrosis: There is a lot of scarring. At this stage it is very important to stop further damage and scarring so your NAFLD doesn’t get worse. And it is still possible to repair some damage.
- Cirrhosis: There is so much scarring it changes the shape of your liver. Your liver can keep working and even repair some damage at this point. But if too much of it becomes scarred, your liver may not be able to carry out its job properly.
Cirrhosis can lead to life-threatening conditions including liver cancer and liver failure.
Source: The British Liver Trust
Participants of the Children of the 90s study had ultrasound scans of their liver, which revealed that one in 40 (2.5 per cent) had evidence of fatty liver disease at 17.
This rose to one in five by the time they were 24, with one in 40 suffering from more serious liver fibrosis.
Inflammation and fibrosis – scarring – of the liver tissue, can cause cirrhosis or liver failure and lead to cancer if diagnosis is delayed or if left untreated.
It found that at age 17, one in 40 participants (2.5%) had evidence of fatty liver disease.
By age 24, one in five (just over 20%) had evidence of fatty liver disease and one in 40 had the more serious liver fibrosis.
Dr Kushala Abeysekera, a clinical lecturer for the National Institute of Health and Care Research at the University of Bristol, said there was a long phase where people with early stages of NAFLD have no symptoms, providing a window to intervene and reverse liver damage.
“When people develop disease it’s usually after years of silent disease, as the liver becomes more and more scarred,” he said.
“When the liver does start to fail unfortunately patients can develop fluid in their abdomen, they can become a bit confused and they are at risk of a severe life-threatening bleeds from their gut.”
Not an older person’s disease
NAFLD is often referred to as ‘silent’ as most people don’t realise they have it in its early stages.
Freddie Draper, 31, was one of thousands who enlisted in the Children of the 90s study and recently come back for an ultrasound to check his liver.
“I just assumed it affected older, unhealthy people,” he said of NAFLD.
“What I found most surprising was that the percentage of people in my age bracket suffering from the disease was so high.
“Any disease with no symptoms is pretty scary to be honest.”
Researchers collected data from 4,021 24-year-olds in 2016 and 2017.
They’re now team are currently assessing participants as they reach the age of 30 and are hoping to complete the same number of liver scans to better understand the factors that are causing some people to develop liver disease earlier.
More than 7,500 people have taken part in the study’s @30 Clinic so far, and the team hope to entice a further 2,000 before it finishes this summer.
Professor Nic Timpson, principal investigator at Children of the 90s, said: “The health data collected at this clinic will enable life-changing research and have a huge impact across many areas of science.”
Who’s at greater risk of NAFLD?
According to The British Liver Trust, the following factors can increase your risk of NAFLD:
- Being overweight or obese
- Having a high waist measurement
- Having 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
- Having high blood lipids such as cholesterol
- Having high blood pressure
- Other conditions linked to insulin resistance, for example polycystic ovary syndrome