Health
“Worried well’ putting liver health at risk as they shun visits to GP on alcohol related matters’ says new study but new test can help
Growing groups of the so-called “worried well†are putting their lives at risk by shunning visits to their GP over alcoholic health related matters, according to new evidence. The study showed that 73% would not consider going to their GP concerning their liver health, revealing the extent to which people are putting themselves at risk from liver disease. However, LiverCheck, the UK’s only home-to-lab blood testing kit might be able to help.
The study, which appears in Hepatology, the world’s leading liver publication, based its findings on 1039 UK subjects (561 female/478 male) who took a LiverCheck home-to-lab liver function blood test. The results revealed abnormally high levels of the two enzymes, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), which if found in high levels in the blood stream have been shown to increase higher risk of mortality.
Rajiv Jalan, MD, PhD, FRCPE, FRCP, Professor of Hepatology, Institute of Hepatology, University College London, Medical School and co-author of the article says:
“The data confirms the medical importance of ALT and AST as a marker for premature mortality as a consequence of liver disease. Due to the nature of the illness, the symptoms only appear when irreversible damage has been done so a screening procedure to detect the early signs of liver damage is essential. A GP is always your first port of call but for some a self test does have a vital role to play in saving lives."