If alcohol consumption could impact the health of your liver, a sedentary lifestyle, a high calorie diet and excess fats associated with obesity and high blood sugar can be equally detrimental. That Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), and its advanced form, Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) cases are steadily rising is worrying doctors.
“We are used to hearing about alcohol-related liver damage; however, NAFLD is now steadily becoming a leading contributor to cirrhosis, liver transplantation, and mortality. It is extremely critical to educate the public on the fact that while excess alcohol causes damage to our liver, a sedentary lifestyle, overeating and a high calorie diet such as processed sugar is almost as bad as the damage from alcohol, making it an equal contributor to liver diseases today,” said N Murugan, Hepatologist and Transplant Physician, Apollo Hospitals.
Globally, the prevalence of NAFLD is estimated to be around 25% (22%-28%), while the prevalence in Asia is around 27% (22% - 32%), he said, adding: “However, we have seen the trend to be much higher in India with prevalence among adults at 39% and among children at 35%.”
