Ahead of World Liver Day, doctors at Sarvodaya Hospital, Faridabad, have asked people to be cautious of liver disease, which has become a lifestyle disease in India. Several reports of non-alcoholic and alcoholic fatty liver disease are much higher than those of hepatitis B.
Speaking about the common chronic liver disease in India, Dr. Bhaskar Nandi, HOD, Liver & Digestive Sciences, Sarvodaya Hospital, Faridabad, said, “A few decades back, the most common cause of chronic liver disease in India was hepatitis B infection, leading to liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure. However, fatty liver, a metabolic disorder, now constitutes the largest burden of liver disease today due to the changing lifestyles of people. Fatty liver is a warning sign that you have other components of liver disease, which may mature and turn into something much more serious. “
Dr. Nandi further added, “In our experience, as many as 80% of people coming for an ultrasound checkup today are found to have fatty liver disease. About one-third of these will progress to chronic liver disease, liver cancer, cirrhosis, or end-stage liver disease. But it is difficult to predict which ones out of the 80% will fall into that one-third bracket, so everyone with a fatty liver is at risk. Preventive measures should be taken early, including lifestyle restrictions, avoiding alcohol, and periodic check-ups. “
The experts at Sarvodaya hospital have also asked people to get vaccinated against the incurable Hepatitis B virus. The hepatitis B vaccine, costing less than Rs 200, needs to be taken only once for lifelong immunity against the virus, which can cause deadly infection and inflammation of the liver, leading to liver damage and death.
Hepatitis B-related problems claim the lives of around 115,000 people in India each year. Approximately 4 crore people in the country are infected with the virus but are asymptomatic and ignorant of the danger they pose to others. While hepatitis B vaccination is widely used among children, it is not widely used among adults. Most people do not get the vaccine because of a lack of understanding, although it only needs to be given once for lifetime protection against the virus.
The doctors have also suggested blood donation as one of the best ways to be alerted about liver illness. Hepatitis B and C are always screened. If these infections are discovered in a donor’s blood, they are notified right away.