Regular liver check-ups are crucial to avoid chronic liver ailments; advise Gastroenterologists at Fortis Jaipur

Regular liver check-ups are crucial to avoid chronic liver ailments; advise Gastroenterologists at Fortis Jaipur 

 Jaipur, April, 2024: Chronic Liver ailments have become a leading cause of deaths in India and if we look at the recent studies, liver disease is spreading in India like an epidemic with one out of every five Indian adult suffering from it. According to reports, Liver disease cases in India have a prevalence of 268,580 (3.17% of all deaths) per year contributing to 18.3% of 2 million liver-related deaths globally. This upsurge makes it even more necessary to raise awareness on liver health. To mark World Liver Day, which is observed every year on 19 April, doctors at Fortis Escorts Hospital recommend that people undergo regular liver check-ups. This year’s theme, "Be Vigilant, Get Regular Liver Check-Ups and Prevent Fatty Liver Diseases," emphasises the importance of monitoring liver health, as fatty liver can affect anyone. 

 Generally, liver related ailments are often not diagnosed easily at an early stage. Therefore, it is crucial for individuals in high-risk categories (based on age and other risk factors) to get regular check-ups. Liver disease is diagnosed based on various tests such as physical examination, medical history, blood tests, MRI, CT Scan etc. If not diagnosed on time, liver diseases can be very critical and lead to cirrhosis, Hepatic encephalopathy, liver cancer and more such complications. 

 Dr. Surendra Sultania, Senior Consultant, Gastroenterology said, “There are no major symptoms of fatty liver in the earlier stage, so it’s difficult to diagnose. Routinely, the patients who get sonography done due to any other cause may be diagnosed with this problem. There may be symptoms such as mild pain in abdomen, and deranged LFT (Liver Function Test). For the diagnosis, we suggest sonography; for an even better diagnosis, one can get MRI done; after the diagnosis, the patient should get the LFT, lipid profile, fasting blood sugar, measurement of blood pressure, BMI measurement and FibroScan done. The LSM (Liver Stiffness Measure) value under the FibroScan helps determine whether the patient has fibrosis or cirrhosis. The patient’s SGOT and SGPT levels shouldn’t be high, as it might be a sign of liver damage, cancer or other disease.” 

  Fatty liver is the build-up of excess fat in the liver that can damage the liver and lead to severe complications. Many factors may lead to the problem of fatty liver in a person, Dr Neeraj Nagaich, Senior Consultant, Gastroenterology at Fortis Escorts Hospital shares, “Obesity, high-fat diet and excess alcohol consumption may lead to fatty liver disease, even some medicines might lead to fatty liver disease. Basis these factors, fatty liver is divided into two types - Alcoholic Fatty Liver and Non-alcoholic Fatty liver disease.” 

 While discussing about complications of a liver disease, it is also necessary to ensure better liver health based on the lifestyle factors. Dr. Nagaich shares some tips to prevent liver damage, “One must be careful of their alcohol intake, maintain a balanced diet and a healthy weight and avoid obesity and hypertension. Do not ignore even the slightest of signs of a liver problem, it could be weight loss, nausea and even fatigue, and get checked by an expert if they notice any of these signs in their body.”