The British Liver Trust is supporting the second global day of action against fatty liver diseases today. International NASH Day raises awareness about Non-alcohol related SteatoHepatitis (better known as NASH), a growing silent liver disease which is usually caused by being overweight.
Locally organised events will happen all over the world. Anyone can join in the effort by organising or participating in a local event. The voices of patients, caregivers and organisations around the world will unite to raise awareness and promote early intervention.
The global prevalence of obesity has increased almost threefold between 1975 and 2016, affecting 650 million adults in 2016. Non-alcohol related fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is estimated to affect one in three adults in the UK and it is estimated that 20% of these will have NASH – the more serious form.
‘One in three adults in the UK is overweight or obese and, as a result, the prevalence of NAFLD is increasing at an alarming rate,’ says Pamela Healy, chief executive of the charity British Liver Trust.
‘Early diagnosis is vital. We know that, if it is caught early, there is good evidence that losing just 5 to 10 per cent of your body weight can improve non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or even reverse the scarring in the liver that occurs in the more advanced form of the disease.’
NASH is a silent and degenerative liver disease that affects up to 12% of the adult population worldwide without symptoms, and is expected to become the leading cause for liver transplant by 2020.
There is a urgent need to raise awareness in the general population about the consequences of this public health burden in the years to come, and to create a relevant bridge between physicians and individuals at risk, to improve patient care worldwide in the future
More about International NASH day can be found at https://www.international-nash-day.com.
