WORLDWIDE RISE –

Nov. 3, 2021 – People continued to “drink away” until the internal damage was advanced, he explained. The way a liver specialist examined blood samples was different from a GP. Fifty per cent of people with cirrhosis had “normal” liver test results. “It could be normal but there are big problems underneath.”

In some cases it was not until the patient was jaundiced that the extent of the liver damage became apparent. He had patients on his ward who were aged from 20 years to 80 years across both genders.

Prof Ryan said that in Ireland alcohol was ingrained in society. People needed to be better aware of the guidelines for alcohol intake which were 17 units weekly for men and 11 units per week for women. There were 10 to 11 units in a bottle of wine, he pointed out, so people who were drinking a bottle of wine five nights a week were consuming 50 units a week. “That’s a lot. When you’re getting to that range you would need to come see me.”

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