The world is threatened by a large-scale epidemic of liver diseases – media

The number of people with metabolic liver diseases in the world could increase to almost two billion by 2050. Currently, this disease has already affected one in six inhabitants of the planet.

This is reported by The Guardian.

It is a steatotic liver disease associated with metabolic dysfunction. It is among the most dangerous threats to global health.

A study published in the journal The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology shows that about 1.3 billion people worldwide suffer from this disease today, which is about one in six people on the planet.

For comparison, in 1990 there were about 500 million such patients. Over the past decades, the number of patients has more than doubled, and experts predict a further increase to 1.8 billion cases by mid-century.

Doctors say lifestyle changes are the main reasons for the spread of the disease. These include rising obesity rates, high blood sugar levels, and the spread of type 2 diabetes.

Experts emphasize that this disease occurs mainly not due to alcohol, but due to metabolic disorders. Excessive sugar consumption and low physical activity gradually lead to liver damage.

The biggest danger is that the disease remains asymptomatic for a long time. A person may not experience symptoms for years until severe complications develop, such as cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Recall that the World Health Organization has taken control of the new variant of the coronavirus BA.3.2, which has already been recorded in more than 20 countries around the world.