Incidences of fatty liver disorder increase sharply
TAIPEI – The incidence of fatty liver has spiked sharply in Taiwan over the past 20 years, with more than 60 percent of people over the age of 40 year now suffering from the disease, according to a survey released Wednesday.
The survey by Lianan Wellness Center found that 52.9 percent of people who had health checks last year were diagnosed with fatty liver disorder, compared with an incidence of 2.8 percent in 1993.
Among people aged 70 and over, the figure last year was 75 percent, the medical center said. It said the survey showed that the number of male patients with fatty liver disorder was 1.8 times higher than females.
Fatty liver disease is commonly associated with metabolic syndrome, atherosclerosis and obesity, said Cheng Nai-yuan, head of the center.
The survey found that 93 percent of patients with the disorder had abnormal levels in at least three of the five metabolic syndrome indictors — waistline measurement, blood pressure, blood glucose, triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
Source: The China Post
Published: 20 Feb 2014
Category: Features, Health alert
