People with diabetes run significantly high risk of developing serious liver diseases.
The surge of diabetes has led to an alarming rise in incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) which can progress to terminal conditions like cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer, a study has revealed.
Prevalence of fatty liver is at least 59 per cent higher in diabetics as compared to non-diabetics. Of around 1,100 persons diagnosed with NAFLD at the Kanungo Institute of Diabetes Specialities (KIDS) under the hospital-based survey, 649 were found to be suffering from diabetes while the rest 451 were non-diabetic.
A significant revelation is that fatty liver manifested more in male diabetics than females at a ratio of 2:1. As many as 432 male diabetics were affected by NAFLD against 216 females. The patients also show higher risk for developing kidney, gall bladder and prostrate complications.
The results assume importance as diabetes is spreading fast across the State. It is estimated that six to seven per cent of the population is diabetic while the incidence in urban areas is as high as 14 to 16 per cent. The prevalence is also marking a sharp rise in the rural and tribal pockets with about four per cent and the industrial hubs of the State have an estimated 10 per cent of their population affected by the disease.
According to experts, association of type 2 diabetes with NAFLD increases risk of liver-related mortality, from cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma.
“There are about 30 lakh diabetics in Odisha today. But there are also an equal number of pre-diabetics, who also run the risk of developing or have already developed NAFLD, without realising both. Thus, people with diabetes and those with risk of diabetes, like family history, should make necessary lifestyle modifications including healthy diet and exercise to prevent the progression,” KIDS Chairman Dr Alok Kanungo said.
The ongoing study would be extended to the field to determine the extent of the association between Type 2 diabetes and NAFLD across different settings from rural to urban and age variances from teens, middle-ages to the old, Dr Kanungo said.