Save your liver, avoid booze and doughnuts

Research announced today at the International Liver CongressTM 2013 has revealed the deadly impact that alcohol and body weight have on liver disease.

Women should forgo the wine and doughnuts after a new study found the harmful combination of high alcohol intake and high body mass index (BMI) causes an increased risk of chronic liver disease. The study analysed a cohort of over 107,000 women to investigate how a female's weight and alcohol consumption affected their chances of suffering and dying from chronic liver disease.

EASL's Scientific Committee Member Dr. Daniele Prati said this research involved a large study to investigate the combined influence of a person's alcoholic intake and BMI on the liver.

Dr. Prati said: "It's well known that alcohol and a person's weight are major causes of chronic liver disease however there has been a need for a large population study to compare these factors' influences on each other. Interestingly, the research found the combination of a woman's drinking habits and weight has an important effect on liver health and life expectancy."

More than 107,000 women across the United Kingdom who took part in the study were classed with a low or high BMI and a low or high alcohol intake (between 0-15 or over 15 units per week). BMI is a measure for human body shape based on an individual's weight and height, with people scoring 25 classified as overweight. The study found risk was significantly increased in the group of women with a high BMI and high alcohol intake, with these participants more likely to suffer from chronic liver disease.

Europe has the highest rate of alcohol consumption in the world with one in seven adults consuming more than the recommended average daily amount.

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