Liver screening

As the largest organ in the body, your liver is essential to your wellbeing, carrying out more than 500 functions to keep you healthy.

We know certain things we enjoy, or an unhealthy lifestyle, can be harmful to the liver, such as too much alcohol or fatty food. Even moderate amounts of alcohol can cause damage, but if caught early these changes can be reversed. NICE Guidelines now recommend anyone who routinely drinks more than three to five bottles of wine per week should have their liver screened.

A liver screen includes blood tests that look at the function of the liver, a scan of the liver that looks for early signs of scarring and a physical examination. Some specialist scans, like our Fibroscan®, can determine whether liver damage is caused by drinking too much alcohol, or caused by eating too much high cholesterol or sugary food - which can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Often people give up alcohol or go on a diet and detox in January or for Lent, but do these periods of abstinence really work? The good news is if liver damage is found, simple lifestyle changes can have a big impact.