75% of liver disease sufferers in Britain don’t know they have it

Although over 60,000 adults in the UK have cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, nearly 75% percent don’t know it, according to research published in the Lancet[1]. For many, the first indication is following admission to Accident and Emergency when the disease is advanced and chance of survival is very low. This week, 18th to 24th June, is Love Your Liver week, and the British Liver Trust has launched a new version of an online screening tool so that people can find out if they are at risk.

Liver disease is one of the leading causes of premature death in England and is responsible for more than 1 in 10 deaths of people in their 40s.

Liver problems develop silently with no obvious symptoms in the early stages yet the disease is largely preventable through lifestyle changes. The Love Your Liver awareness campaign, promoted by the British Liver Trust, aims to reach the one in five people in the UK who may have the early stages of liver disease, but are unaware of it.

More than 90% of liver disease is due to three main risk factors: obesity, alcohol and viral hepatitis.