Diabetes could be predictor of later liver issues

People living with type 2 diabetes are at higher risk of liver disease.

Many patients with potentially deadly liver cirrhosis and liver cancer are being diagnosed at late, advanced stages of the disease, according to a study led by Queen Mary University of London and the Glasgow University.

The study of 18 million people across Europe suggests people living with type 2 diabetes are at particular risk of this “silent disease” and should be monitored closely to prevent life-threatening disease progression.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects up to a quarter of people in the West and is the most common cause of liver disease around the world.

In the largest study of its kind, published in the journal BMC Medicine, the team combined the healthcare records of 18 million European adults from the UK, Netherlands, Italy and Spain.

They matched each NAFLD patient to 100 patients who did not have a recorded diagnosis, and looked to see who developed liver cirrhosis and liver cancer over time.

More than 136,000 patients were identified

“This suggests that diabetes could be a good predictor”

with NAFLD/Nash and were more likely to have type 2 diabetes, hypertension and obesity.

The strongest association was observed in NAFLD/ NASH patients who had a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes – they were more than twice as likely to develop aggressive liver disease.

This suggests that diabetes could be a good predictor of disease.