Friday, April 17, 2015

Fatty liver: the pathology of gluttony

University of Adelaide Professor Alastair Burt specialises in liver diseases and says while most people only associate liver disease with alcoholism, people who are overweight, obese or with type 2 diabetes, are also prone to serious liver conditions. “Fatty liver diseases are a group of diseases that interfere with the normal functioning of the liver and can lead to cirrhosis and an early death,” says Professor Burt. “It has long been recognised that excess alcohol consumption can lead to liver diseases, and while there is a relationship between the degree of alcohol consumption and severe disease, other individual traits also have a significant influence. “In particular, it is becoming increasingly recognised that the whole spectrum of fatty liver diseases can also occur in people who are overweight, obese or those living with type 2 diabetes,” he says.