Concerns grow over the increase in chronic liver disease diagnoses
There were over 700 hospital admissions for alcohol conditions in one year.
Last updated 21st Oct 2024
There's concern about an increase in cases of chronic liver disease in Dumfries and Galloway.
This has urged a liver specialist at DGRI to warn people to be cautious of their diets, and alcohol consumption.
The latest figures show between 2021 and 2022, there were over 730 hospital admissions for alcohol conditions.
The statistic rose from 7.13 per 100,000 to 17.02, spiking up almost 40% between pre-Covid and 2022.
Most diagnoses happen at A&E departments and the damage is often irreversible.
Dr Mathis Heydtmann is a consultant hepatologist at the Dumfries hospital and says things are getting worse.
“We are getting better at getting patients out of the hospital, however when they’re discharged, they come back again and the survival rate after the hospitalisation has not improved.”
Although liver disease can be curable, it's often caught too late:
“Even when the people have a very scarred liver, a cirrhosis liver, this can go back to normal, however, 60% of people who die from liver disease, are diagnosed in the last year of their life.”
But if all risk factors are controlled, it is easier to treat, Dr Heydtmann says.
“When we detect liver disease early – and the earlier the better – then we can make changes. It is often lifestyle changes that people need to make but we can completely turn around people’s liver disease and life expectancy.”
MSP Finlay Carson says, “I comment and welcome the fact that my health board has a pathway for early detection of liver disease in development.
“It has been reported that the pathway will include the use of the liver fibrosis score and the introduction of intelligent liver function tests.”
“Early detection of liver disease is vital in improving people’s opportunity to make lifestyle changes to improve their outcomes.
“It is a silent killer that is often asymptomatic in the early stages, and it is frequently diagnosed in accident and emergency departments at crisis point, when liver damage is irreversible, thereby putting even more pressure on our service.
“We must ensure that liver disease prevention is prioritised through the introduction of population-wide measures to tackle obesity and alcohol misuse as the drivers of liver disease.”