High liver disease risk for diabetics

Published on Tuesday 29 March 2011 18:35

PEOPLE with diabetes are 70 per cent more likely to die from liver disease than those without the illness, according to new research.

It is already known that diabetes can increase the risk of some types of liver disease, with poor blood sugar control boosting the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. This can lead to scarring of the liver (also known as cirrhosis) and cancer.

In the new study, Scottish researchers analysed health records of people aged 35 to 84 over a six-year period to 2007. They compared 1,267 people with diabetes and 10,100 without the condition, who all died of liver disease. About one in four (24 per cent) people with diabetes died of liver cancer against 9 per cent of those without diabetes.

However, far more people without diabetes died from alcoholic liver disease (63 per cent) compared to those with diabetes (38 per cent). Diabetic patients are advised not to drink too much alcohol due to its potential impact on blood sugar levels and weight gain. Overall, the study found people with diabetes were 70 per cent more likely to die from liver disease.

Lead researcher Dr Sarah Wild, from the University of Edinburgh, said: "Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease has become more common recently, particularly among people with diabetes. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease increases the risk of cirrhosis, which in turn increases the risk of liver cancer."