Metabolic Liver Disease or hepatic steatosis (MHmet) is a silent and rapidly progressing epidemic that already affects one in four adults in Spain, that is, more than ten million people, of which about two million would present inflammation of the liver (steatohepatitis) and, of these, 400,000 would already have liver cirrhosis.
Precisely, and on the occasion of the celebration, on Thursday, June 9, of the World Metabolic Liver Disease Day (NASH), the Spanish Association for the Study of the Liver (AEEH) has organized this Tuesday, June 7, in the Congress of Deputies a Parliamentary Day whose objective has been to sensitize the different political groups and public opinion of the worrying progression of this pathology. An unstoppable advance that is especially worrying in adolescents and young people, a segment in which recent studies have estimated that up to eight out of ten overweight people in these vital ranges already have fatty liver, and are at risk of developing cirrhosis at an early age. .
Obesity and overweight are, precisely, together with type 2 diabetes, cholesterol and high blood pressure (HTN), the main risk factors for Metabolic Liver Disease (MHD), a term that describes a broad histological spectrum that is the leading cause of chronic liver disease globally, including cirrhosis and liver cancer. The latter is the second leading cause of years of life lost among all cancers. The worldwide prevalence of MetHE is around 25% in adults.
The prevalence of Metabolic Liver Disease among the population is difficult to determine and is probably underestimated as it is a disease that does not produce any symptoms until it is in very advanced stages. In Spain, it is estimated to be 25.8%, being higher among patients with obesity or metabolic syndrome. The presence of liver cancer in patients with fatty liver in Spain has also tripled in the last decade, a trend that makes it foreseeable that it will become one of the main causes of liver cancer in the coming years. MetHS is already the second leading cause of liver transplantation in countries such as the United States. And in Spain, as in the rest of European countries, the cases are increasing every year.
Added to the concern about the growth in prevalence, especially among young people, is the relevant socio-economic impact of this pathology. The study by O’Hara et al. (2019) have estimated the total costs generated by the care of patients diagnosed with MHE in Spain between 3,600 million and 5,600 million euros (depending on whether or not the expenses of these patients associated with other diseases are included).
For all these reasons, the specialists of the Spanish Association for the Study of the Liver (AEEH) demand a Strategic Plan for Liver Disease and more determined Public Health policies to combat the eating habits and lifestyles that are behind the progression of liver disease. this epidemic in the younger population, as well as a greater effort in screening and early diagnosis; and a greater provision of public funds for research.
Source: AEEH
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