non-2022年世界杯预选赛阿根廷 liver disease affects more than 9 million canadians, many who don't know they have it
the stigma that liver disease is only caused by alcohol means many people don't ask their doctors about it, says dr. alnoor ramji, a vancouver-based a liver disease specialist who is calling for earlier liver disease screening.
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some symptoms of liver disease include memory lapses and slower reflexes. getty
dr. alnoor ramji, a liver disease specialist at st. paul’s hospital in vancouver is concerned about non-2022年世界杯预选赛阿根廷 liver disease (nafld), which affects more than nine million canadians according to the fatty liver alliance. twenty-five per cent will go on to develop cirrhosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (nash) — a more severe form of nafld.
“when you look at things that fall under the radar, the reality is that 25 per cent of the population has fatty liver disease, and very few of those people know that they have it,” he says. “part of the problem is you’re asymptomatic and you may not feel or see anything particularly because it’s an internal organ.”
ramji is also an associate professor at ubc, a research scientist and the co-founder of the health-care professional organization canadian nash network, which is working to create awareness about non-2022年世界杯预选赛阿根廷 liver disease and early screening.
“when you have something that impacts a quarter of the population and potential for 20 to 30 per cent eventually to get more advanced disease, it’s important to get patients linked to care early and decrease the progression, or even if it is progressed, to try to minimize the effects of burden of disease on them,” he says.
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nafld can lead to nash and cause cirrhosis
non-2022年世界杯预选赛阿根廷 liver disease (nafld) is a buildup of fat in the liver when someone eats more fat and sugars than your body can handle, according to the canadian liver foundation. and while it’s more common in people who are overweight or have obesity, it can also happen in adults who have what’s considered a healthy body weight. diabetes, insulin resistance and high blood pressure are also conditions that may contribute to the disease.
having nafld doesn’t cause immediate harm, but it can lead to a more severe form of the disease — non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (nash) — potentially causing cirrhosis and a need for a liver transplant.
the symptoms of non-2022年世界杯预选赛阿根廷 liver disease
some of the signs of nafld include malnourishment, a sensitivity to medications and an increased risk of infection, says ramji, adding that neurocognitive impairments, like memory lapses and slower reflexes are also possible. in fact, news out of britain earlier this week highlighted changes to a person’s sensitivity to drugs and alcohol or the way they walk as later signs the liver is “struggling to function,” express u.k reported.
ramji wants to empower people who are at risk for nafld and make it part of their conversation with their primary health-care providers. it’s not often raised by patients because there’s a stigma of liver disease being related to alcohol.
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“we need to normalize the fact that a lot of people have liver disease and should be evaluated for it,” he says.
ramji would also like to see primary care professionals evaluate patients who have obesity or are diabetic for risk of fatty liver disease — he estimates about 60 per cent of diabetics are affected.
diagnosing nafld
most of ramji’s patients are referred to him because tests detected nafld incidentally, showing elevated liver enzymes or ultrasound imaging for abdominal trouble. but blood work can be used for early detection.
“it’s a very easy tool to use, looking at a calculation of some of the liver numbers as well as what we call the platelet count,” he says. “in an ideal world, we’d be able to get the test for everybody once a year or once every couple of years as part of the blood work you should be doing as an adult anyway.”
treating nafld
there are drugs in clinical trials now for nafld treatment that look promising, but it’s more important for people to know that you can reverse damage to your liver. lifestyle changes like healthy food choices, more cooking at home, increased activity, and blood sugar control if you’re diabetes or pre-diabetic, can make a significant improvement to liver health.
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“we should be preventative and say, ‘ok, you are potentially at risk of this. let’s evaluate you, let’s link you to care,’ if needed,” says ramji. “we don’t have that. one of the biggest challenges is education overall — because if a quarter of the population has a disease, you should hear about it.”
for more information about liver disease, check out the fatty liver alliance, canadian liver foundation and the gi society.
karen hawthorne is a toronto-based writer.
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