No. of fatty liver cases up since lockdown was induced: Docs

WORLD LIVER DAY

No. of fatty liver cases up since lockdown was induced: Docs

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:19.04.2021

Lockdown-induced lifestyle changes and unchecked intake of antibiotics and vitamin tablets can lead to fatty liver, and there is a necessity to spread awareness about issues in the ‘new normal’, say doctors on the eve of World liver day (April 19).

Fatty liver is the accumulation of fat in the liver, which if left unattended can even lead to liver cirrhosis, causing liver failure.

Dr Joy Varghese, director of hepatology and transplant hepatology at Gleneagles Global Health City, said, in the past year, there has been a considerable increase in patients doing master health check-ups finding they have a fatty liver. “About 2-3 years ago, 30% of our patients were diagnosed with fatty liver. In the past year, 90% were diagnosed with fatty liver,” Dr Joy Varghese said.

Doctors said it is reflective of the sedentary lifestyle of a major chunk of the population since March last year, either due to movement restrictions. “It is basically a lifestyle disease. People should watch what they eat and should not eat the same way they ate before lockdown, excessive calorie diet should be avoided,” said Dr Joy Varghese. Another aspect public should be mindful of is consumption of multivitamin tablets without medical advice, as an overdose of such tablets can also lead to fatty liver.