1 in 3 adult Indians suffer from excess liver fat: Doctor in Parliament

NEW DELHI: High liver fat precedes diabetes and heart disease by 15 years. Eating right and avoiding alcohol can help delay the onset of fatty liver, leading gastroenterologist Dr SK Sarin said during an event in the Parliament to mark World Hepatitis Day.

With parliamentarians listening in rapt attention, Sarin, the director of Delhi’s Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), cautioned MPs against letting nagging symptoms go unnoticed.

A healthy liver contains a small amount of fat which is up to 5% of the organ’s weight. Problem arises when fat reaches 10% and above of the liver’s weight.

Sarin said nearly one in every three adults in India suffer from excess liver fat, also referred to as fatty liver disease, presently which is at the core of many non-communicable diseases. “If the problem of excess fat is detected in time and treated, many complications can be prevented,” the ILBS director said. He added that a 10% weight loss can help reduce fatty liver and some fibrosis (thickening or scarring of the liver tissue) even.

The major roadblock in managing the emerging epidemic of fatty liver is lack of awareness among citizens.