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Specialist clinics
6 OCTOBER 2019 • HEALTHCARE INNOVATIONS
Innovations can help detect liver disease at an earlier stage
Liver disease is the only major cause of death that’s on the increase in the UK
Most worryingly, the majority of people don’t have any symptoms until the disease is at an advanced stage. However, innovations can identify individuals with liver disease at an earlier stage, says Dr Matthew Foxton, consultant hepatologist at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital.
WHAT DOES THE LIVER DO? Te liver is situated under the lower part of the ribs on the right-hand side. It’s the largest organ in the body and is responsible for many functions. Tese include processing food when it’s been digested, storing nutrients for energy, removing toxins from the blood (including alcohol), fighting infection and disease, controlling cholesterol and making proteins to help the blood clot.
WHO’S AT RISK OF LIVER DAMAGE? As many as one in five of us are at risk of liver disease, but the majority of people are unaware and undiagnosed. Most cases of liver disease in the UK are related to alcohol, obesity and viral hepatitis. It can take many years for advanced liver damage to occur, so early identification can prevent this from happening.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I’M AT RISK OF LIVER DISEASE? As 90% of cases of liver disease in the UK are related to alcohol, obesity or viral hepatitis, these are all identifi- able risk factors. Te recommended amount of alcohol to consume is less than 14 units per week. Being overweight can lead to fat
being deposited in the liver. Tis can also cause inflammation, and ulti- mately scarring in the liver. Tis is known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Other conditions that can increase the risk of NAFLD include diabetes, high blood pres- sure, high cholesterol or triglycerides, poor diet and a lack of exercise. Te two most common viruses to cause chronic liver damage are hepatitis B and C. It’s important to identify these
A LIVERMULTISCAN DEMONSTRATING A NORMAL LIVER (PICTURED ON THE LEFT) AND AN INFLAMED LIVER (ON THE RIGHT)
conditions, with blood tests, as they’re easily treatable and so liver damage can be prevented.
HOW DOES LIVER DAMAGE OCCUR? Te liver is a remarkably resil- ient organ and even has the power to regenerate. However, repeated insults, such as alcohol or fat within the liver, over time cause inflamma- tion and ultimately scarring (fibrosis) within the liver. If this continues, the fibrosis can progress to cirrhosis and this is usually when complications including liver cancer and liver failure can occur. Previously, the only way to diagnose liver disease was with a liver
biopsy. Tis is an invasive, painful technique that required a day-case stay in hospital. New technology can now avoid this and allow liver disease to be identified at an earlier stage.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE LIVER DAMAGE? Fatty liver is often diagnosed in patients with the risk factors listed above. It may also be suggested by abnormal blood tests (liver function tests) or detected on ultrasound scans. However, these tests are unlikely to be able to tell whether there’s signifi- cant liver damage present. Te Fibro- scanTM uses a technique called
elastography to assess the amount of scar tissue (fibrosis) within the liver. Tis simple 10-minute test is painless and can give an instantaneous result on whether there’s any scarring in your liver. Te step before liver scarring is
inflammation. Advances in MRI tech- nology can now diagnose inflamma- tion within the liver. Te LiverMulti- Scan is a 10-15 minute MRI scan that can identify the inflammation and scarring within the liver and enable patients to make changes to their life- style before significant damage has occurred. Tis can also be used to monitor improvements in the liver.
THE LIVER IS A REMARKABLY RESILIENT ORGAN AND EVEN HAS THE POWER TO REGENERATE
Please contact Dr Matthew Foxton if you wish to discuss any issues raised in this article. T: 020 7234 2859 E: secretary.drfoxton@
hcaconsultant.co.uk
FIBROSCAN REPORT SHOWING A FATTY LIVER WITH NO SIGNIFICANT FIBROSIS
FIBROSCAN MACHINE
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