Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 25: Max Hospital, Mohali started specialized liver clinic.
The clinic was inaugurated by Dr JB Dilawari, Director and Head, Department of Gastroenterology, Max Hospital, Mohali in presence of Sandeep Dogra, VP and Zonal Head, Max Hospitals, Punjab, Dr Nikhlil Nadkarni, Sr Consultant, Gastroenterology and Dr Amit Sharma, Consultant, Gastroenterology.
While speaking, Dr Dilawari said that the aim of clinic would be to cater to a specific group of patients with liver disease under one roof. The patients with acute liver disease, chronic liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, Hepatitis A, B, C, E and liver cancer would be treated under this clinic. This team of liver specialist would be supported by a team of surgeons and intervention radiologist for best patient management, he added.
Dr Nikhlil Nadkarni, said that the fatty liver can possibly deteriorate into liver cirrhosis which is an end stage of liver damage. Also it multiplies chances of developing liver cancer and infection with hepatitis. Obesity is the precursor to development of type 2 diabetes. An European Association for Liver study also reported that heavy drinkers with obesity related diabetes are at 9 times more risk of developing liver cancer, he stated.
Discussing the risk factors involved in liver disease, Dr Amit Sharma said that the higher consumption of alcohol is the only risk factor which is known to cause liver damage but remains ignored. Alcohol has a direct detrimental effect on liver because it gets metabolised at liver. Female alcoholics are at more danger to develop liver disease than men. Extremely high alcohol intake, moderate but regular and binge drinking troubles the liver the most. Consuming alcohol more than the liver can process allows it to kill liver cells leading to end stage liver disease. WHO reports that about 23 lakhs death every year is because of harmful effects of alcohol, accounting for 3.8 per cent of all deaths in the world. More than half of these occurred because of Non communicable deaths including liver cirrhosis and cancer”.
Sandeep Dogra said, “We have already started programmes to generate awareness about liver disease and its prevention. Key to fight the poised epidemic is timely prevention and early detection”.
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