Researchers warn that hospital admissions and deaths caused by liver disease are likely to rise if cases of type 2 diabetes continue to increase at current rates.
The team, involving researchers from the Universities of Southampton and Edinburgh, examined cases of liver diseases among people with diabetes from anonymised, securely linked hospital records and death records in Scotland over a 10 year period.
They found that most cases of liver disease in people with type 2 diabetes are not alcohol-related but caused by a build-up of fat within liver cells -- a condition known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
NAFLD is commonly linked to obesity, which is also a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
Most people can avoid getting these conditions by following a healthy diet and taking regular exercise.
The research team found that men with type 2 diabetes are three times more likely to suffer from NAFLD than men without diabetes.
There are fewer cases of type 2 diabetes and liver disease amongst women but having type 2 diabetes increases the risk of NAFLD by five times, the study found.
Treatment options for NAFLD -- which increases the risk of life-threatening complications such as cirrhosis and liver cancer -- are limited.
source: sciencedaily.com
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