20 million Germans sick without knowing it: liver expert warns of a dangerous lifestyle
Created: 06/23/2022, 12:20 p.m
By: Juliane Gutmann
High blood pressure to diabetes: more and more common diseases are on the rise.
The liver also suffers from our modern lifestyle.
Unhealthy diet and lack of exercise promote obesity.
And not only that: An unhealthy lifestyle is also mainly responsible for various common diseases such as high blood pressure or diabetes.
More and more fatty liver cases are also alarming doctors.
A distinction is made between alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver.
The latter is said to be more widespread than ever:
Around 20 million people in Germany live with fatty liver disease that cannot be attributed to alcohol consumption
, informs the
Professional Association of Resident Gastroenterologists Germany e.
V. (bng).
The treacherous thing: many of those affected have no idea of their illness, which can have fatal consequences.
More than two million sufferers are at an advanced stage with worrying changes in liver tissue, bng said.
The development is worrying
.
Anyone who eats unhealthily over the long term and does not exercise enough at the same time not only risks heart disease.
© Josep Suria/Imago
Non-alcoholic fatty liver: More and more affected, often without even knowing it
"Our way of life with too much high-calorie nutrition and at the same time constantly decreasing physical activity is reflected in our
metabolism
in the long run.
The physiological processes get out of balance.
High blood pressure, diabetes and fatty liver are typical consequences of these metabolic disorders,” explains Prof. Dr.
Wolf-Peter Hofmann as the liver expert of the resident gastrointestinal doctors in the bng press release.
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The non-alcoholic fatty liver is so dangerous because it can damage the organ immensely in the advanced stage.
Severe inflammation, scarring and even liver cancer are possible consequences of undetected and untreated fatty liver.
"
We assume that the number of cases will triple in the next ten years,
" warns Professor Hofmann, according to the bng.
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The following risk factors favor the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver
According to the German Liver Foundation, non-alcoholic fatty liver occurs in most cases as a result of the metabolic syndrome.
This describes a constellation of various symptoms and clinical pictures, including:
Obesity (particularly abdominal fat)
persistently elevated blood sugar levels
increased blood fat levels
high blood pressure
In addition to too little exercise and high-fat food, both high-sugar foods and high-sugar drinks promote non-alcoholic fatty liver, according to the German Liver Foundation.
(jg)