Forum Topic

Liver disease highest in UK

Liver disease has risen by more than 40%. It is by far the biggest killer of Britains compared to Europe.Causes are alcohol and obesity.Just drinking 2 cans of lager every day will cause death.So next time you reach out for a can with your chips, think again.Do you all remember George Best. He had a liver transplant which cost the NHS thousands and what did he do, he just went on the wagon again.

Rhys Smith ● 4389d33 Comments

Nigel - I follow your point about accessibility of alcoholic drinks but I'm not sure I agree with your conclusions.The majority of people that I have known who binge drink and / or have problems with moderating their intake do buy the stuff as cheaply as they can but plan their drinking carefully, ensuring that they have a ready supply.I agree that those living with parents or guardians - e.g. teenagers - might have a far more opportunistic approach but, when I was a kid, we were able to drink far too much just by going to the pub or the local offie.The worst offenders often seemed to come from places like Bournville, where alcohol was difficult to come by, as a Quaker-built town, but that is probably a different issue.Are people more likely to buy alcohol if it's sold in more places?  It'd be interesting to see some research into this.

Phil Kay ● 4384d

Non Alcoholic fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a growing problem.From the NHS websiteNAFLD is very similar to alcoholic liver disease, but it is caused by factors other than drinking too much alcohol. The four stages are described below.Stage 1: simple fatty liver (steatosis)Hepatic steatosis is stage 1 of the condition. This is where excess fat builds up in the liver cells but is considered harmless. There are usually no symptoms and you may not even realise you have it until you receive an abnormal blood test result.Stage 2: non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)Only a few people with simple fatty liver go on to develop stage 2 of the condition, called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NASH is a more aggressive form of the condition, where the liver has become inflamed. Inflammation is the body's healing response to damage or injury and, in this case, is a sign that liver cells have become damaged.A person with NASH may have a dull or aching pain felt in the top right of their abdomen (over the lower right side of their ribs).Stage 3: fibrosisSome people with NASH go on to develop fibrosis, which is where persistent inflammation in the liver results in the generation of fibrous scar tissue around the liver cells and blood vessels. This fibrous tissue replaces some of the healthy liver tissue, but there is still enough healthy tissue for the liver to continue to function normally.Stage 4: cirrhosisAt this most severe stage, bands of scar tissue and clumps of liver cells develop. The liver shrinks and becomes lumpy. This is known as cirrhosis.Cirrhosis tends to occur after the age of 50-60, after many years of liver inflammation associated with the early stages of the disease. People with cirrhosis of the liver caused by NAFLD often also have type 2 diabetes.The damage caused by cirrhosis is permanent and can't be reversed. Cirrhosis progresses slowly, over many years, gradually causing your liver to stop functioning. This is called liver failure. Learn more about cirrhosis of the liver, including the warning signs.

Nigel Brooks ● 4384d

"Liver disease has risen by more than 40%...causes are alcohol and obesity."I didn't know that obesity was a cause of liver disease. Its scary. I was waiting at the checkout desks at M&S the other day and noticed that more than half of the customers were fat or obese.

Gerry Tan ● 4384d

Apparently, overdoses of prescription & OTC meds now kill more people in the States than guns or traffic accidents. Admittedly, the really strong painkillers are harder to get here than on the other side of the pond but I understand that Solpadeine in particular now has a lot of addicts.

Susan Kelly ● 4387d

Funny my wife always tells me off for washing down paracetamol with a glass of JD

Tony Maxey ● 4387d

Over the counter and prescribed medications do as much damage. Funny though I read recently that combining these with alcohol could actually protect ones liver. So instead of water with your paracetamol try a martini :-)

Edward Rountree ● 4387d

Sheer accessibility Tony is the issue.When I was a yoof we didn't get 'tanked-up' on booze from the corner shop before going out for the evening because we couldn't be bothered to go to the off licence. Now, it's difficult to find a convenience store that doesn't sell high strength ciders and beers or, worse of all, rotgut vodka.

Nigel Brooks ● 4388d

> see the problem?No, not really.So you had to queue for a bit longer when there were fewer outlets.In my experience that never stopped anybody and I speak as someone that helped out in my dad's off licence for several years during the seventies and has managed to save many a publican and offy owner from otherwise certain bankruptcy in the decades since.

Tony Colliver ● 4388d

I'm a Cote du Rhone fan and sometimes wonder why it's so cheap. Just out of fashion, perhaps.

Susan Kelly ● 4388d

Try Lidl. A very nice Cotes de Rhone  for very nearly that much (£3.79). Having said that I am no expert on wine, but it's very drinkable and pleasant.

Keith Iddon ● 4388d

When I was a lad growing up in the late 1960's you could only buy alcohol in a pub or I very limited number of off licences. Within 500m of the house in which I still live there were four (two pubs, two off licences). Within 500m of my home there are now fourteen at a minimum (I may have missed a couple) - see the problem?

Nigel Brooks ● 4388d

Nigel, unless you're buying complete gut-rot, minimum pricing of 40p a unit is unlikely to affect you. Average bottle of wine is 9 units = £3.60. Good luck finding anything drinkable for that price.

Susan Kelly ● 4388d

They even sell booze at some petrol stations.

Keith Iddon ● 4388d

The issue is not the price of alcohol and as a VERY moderate drinker I despair when the misguided bleat about minimum pricing. Why should I pay more, on even the occasional bottle that I buy, because others cannot control their intake?The issue is the sheer number of outlets at which one can purchase alcohol. Seemingly every little corner shop is granted an off-premises licence to sell strong alcohol.If the government were serious about tackling the problem rather than threatening to beat people with a taxation 'stick' they would restrict the times that supermarkets could sell alcohol and the number of shops to whom local councils issue licences like confetti.

Nigel Brooks ● 4388d

I wish the Government would do something about the cheap price that alcohol is sold for in supermarkets.  I think there should be a minimum price.  There is a some very strong lobbying going on.I don't know if they are still selling alcohol really cheaply in university student bars but some years ago I was horrified at the price of or rather practically free spirits that were being sold there.  All sponsored/paid for by the drinks manufacturers. I'm not against student bars but this was quite ridiculous and very dangerous and they were targeted just as they had left home.  You don't have to be drunk to have fun.  In fact in can be very disappointing to find out you can't remember what a good time you had. I like the idea of alcohol being cheaper in pubs than in supermarkets.  Perhaps we would be able to keep more of these community places open.  I'm sure with the other social activities there that would make drinking there more attractive. BTW He fell out of a palm tree.  The mind boggles.

Philippa Bond ● 4388d

"Just has a face that has been lived in a bit."That's a good expression Christine - I must remember it.

Gerry Tan ● 4389d

It was Woody I meant, not Mr Walnut head.To be fair to nutty, he looks quite fit for a "person of maturity" all that jumping around has probably helped him keep fit.  Just has a face that has been lived in a bit.

Christine Daniels ● 4389d

Not 'Real alien''.....obviously but 'Real ale..' I'm convinced this laptop is developing a sense of humour...!

Keith Iddon ● 4389d

Mick Jagger was never much of a  hedonist. In fact next to Keef and Woody he is almost monastic.Always has been. As for Bestie, perhaps if he hadn't done so much running around when he was younger he wouldn't have been quite so thirsty. Susan is correct, have at least a couple of days a week off and even when you're on it don't touch the top shelf too much. Real alien from a cask is much better for you than lager as it is not as gassy and is unpasteurised, in effect it is 'living' and has a fair few vitamins. Going to the pub or restaurant is actually good for you if you drink in moderation as it lifts the spirits(npi) and involves social contact, conversation and usually laughter and levity. All things that have been proven to be good for your mental health and make you less likely to be a 'secret' drinker at home which is where the damage can be done. That is partly why I think that drinks in a supermarket should be more expensive and drinks in a pub cheaper. Quite a few youngsters are in the habit of getting tanked up on cheap supermarket booze before going out to an expensive pub.

Keith Iddon ● 4389d

"...wouldn't surprise me if Jagger et al are pretty much teetotal now."It wouldn't surprise me if he's now completely teetotal. His face is now very wrinkled like a walnut - we all show signs of wear when we age.

Gerry Tan ● 4389d

You would think that a bottle of spirits a day would finish off most people prematurely but some just are genetically lucky. It also wouldn't surprise me if Jagger et al are pretty much teetotal now.I am suddenly reminded of the mother of a friend of mine who said she would only marry her second husband if he stopped drinking a bottle of whisky a day. He promised and kept his promise: he switched to a bottle of brandy a day. Doesn't pay to be too specific.

Susan Kelly ● 4389d

But surely someone who had been drinking say a bottle of spirits per day, because they could, would suffer health problems sooner rather than later?  Lets face it the Rolling Stones aren't exactly young are they?

Christine Daniels ● 4389d

The man on the TV news report was drinking half a bottle of wine each day as well as two cans of lager. Not a massive amount, admittedly, but some people are more susceptible than others, just plain unlucky. Add to that the fact that people always lie about how much they drink, so it was probably a whole bottle and four cans.I think the trick is not to drink every day, maybe alternate days.

Susan Kelly ● 4389d

He was down the pub a lot too.George Best had an addiction of which there were many contributing factors.  But as he was footballer, we let him do what he wanted.Something that has always puzzled me is how come people like George Best and that bloke from the Rolling Stones (the one that fell out of the tree), live a party lifestyle for so long whereas others conk out sooner.

Christine Daniels ● 4389d

This is scary Rhys. Despite your alarm, I think a few glasses of house plonk occasionally at one of Ealings varied restaurants or a few bottles of Cobra, Tiger or maybe Singha beers are harmless. But thanks for alerting us.

Gerry Tan ● 4389d

'he just went on the wagon again.'You mean OFF the wagon. If you're ON the wagon, then you're not drinking.

Susan Kelly ● 4389d

People have a choice. They can drink as much as they like, smoke as much as they like, eat and eat till heaven content. All we can do is advise and be patient.

Rhys Smith ● 4389d

You should form a double act with Tony Purton.

Keith Iddon ● 4389d

Oh dear. Why is it that when you try and educate people, they refuse to listen. Watch the news tonight please.How difficult can it be to give up that extra lager can for the sake of your health?

Rhys Smith ● 4389d

Germany has a far higher rate btw, as does Denmark.

Keith Iddon ● 4389d

According to the World Health Rankings we are 96th highest in the world with 9.5 deaths per 100,000. This is regarded as a low number on their scale. I suggest you put your head back in the sand Rhys.

Keith Iddon ● 4389d

Just stating the facts as it is. It's all in the news so you can watch it yourself tonight.No point burying your head in the sand. Facts are facts.

Rhys Smith ● 4389d

Some of your posts make me want to open the drinks cabinet Rhys.

Keith Iddon ● 4389d