In line with the World Diabetes Day on November 14, Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre and Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF) launched a ‘Diabetes Liver Clinic’ on Wednesday.
V. Mohan, chairman of Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre and MDRF, said the ICMR-INDIAB Study published in the Lancet Diabetes Endocrinology in June 2023 found that 101 million individuals were affected with diabetes and an additional 136 million individuals were pre-diabetic.
The focus was on five complications of diabetes affecting the eyes, kidneys, heart, feet and nerves, he said, adding that the liver has emerged as an important organ in diabetes. Considering the metabolic abnormalities associated with fatty liver, diabetes would top the list, he added.
The clinic was launched to determine the extent of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease and alcoholic fatty liver disease, to try to reverse the fatty liver disease in people with diabetes and obesity in an attempt to achieve remission/reversal of type 2 diabetes and to prevent progression of fatty liver to cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer, Dr. Mohan explained.
Aswin Krishna, consultant hepatologist at the centre, said it was important to prevent cirrhosis due to fatty liver in persons with diabetes. Investigations would be done using fibroscan and measures such as lifestyle modifications and weight loss, and medications would be suggested as per the stage of the disease. “Screening will help in preventing and detecting liver cancer early,” he said.
Dr. Mohan added that the clinic would also develop normal liver function values. “We will also develop an algorithm using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to see who should be screened and when to screen,” he said. R.M. Anjana, managing director of the centre, also spoke.
Published - November 08, 2023 09:18 pm IST
