Apollo Hospitals has commissioned a new machine to diagnose the intermediate stages of fatty liver disease and reverse the condition.
A sedentary life and easy access to food has led to teetotallers developing fatty liver condition. Around 25% to 30% of Indian population could have Mash (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis), a condition where the liver’s function is compromised, said N. Murugan, senior consultant hepatologist at Apollo Hospital. Awareness of the possible damage is poor as the impact of Mash occurs almost 20-25 years after the damage has begun.
Analysis of the liver ultrasound of three lakh people who underwent master health checkup at the hospital revealed that around 38% of adults had fatty liver. “Around 25% of children below 15 had fatty liver, which is very worrying,” he said.
Obesity and diabetes are the biggest risk factors for fatty liver, Dr. Murugan explained. He said that around 25% of people with fatty liver could end up with liver failure and 8%-10% among them could get liver cirrhosis. The hospital had installed a machine that could identify liver damage early and prevent the progression of the condition.
“The two stages are Mash and Mash fibrosis before liver cirrhosis (death). The only way to diagnose the condition is liver biopsy but it is expensive,” he said.
The hospital has installed the latest generation of fibroscan that can, through an outpatient procedure offer information about the condition of liver that would help hepatologists to treat the patient, he said.
Actor Prashanth who commissioned the machine on Monday urged people to maintain a healthy lifestyle and listen to the doctors’ suggestions.
The hospital has announced complimentary liver health assessments for the first 75 individuals and consultation with specialists.
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