London
Obesity and alcohol act together to increase the risk of liver disease in both men and women.
Two studies conclude that, from a public health perspective, strategies to jointly reduce both excessive alcohol consumption and excessive body weight should lead to a reduction in the incidence of liver disease.
The first study, conducted by University of Oxford researchers, saw examination of the link between body mass index (BMI) and liver cirrhosis in 1.2 million middle-aged British women.
Each participant was followed for an average of 6.2 years, and risks were adjusted for factors such as age, alcohol consumption, smoking, socioeconomic status and physical activity. Compared to women of healthy weight, women who were obese had an increased relative risk of liver cirrhosis.
In the second study, scientists from the Universities of Glasgow and Bristol investigated the joint effects of BMI and alcohol consumption on liver disease in more than 9,000 men in Scotland.
Participants were tracked for an average of 29 years. Both factors were related to liver disease and, more importantly, the combination of high BMI and alcohol consumption was greater than the additive effect of the two separate factors.
Disclaimer: The news story on this page is the copyright of the cited publication. This has been reproduced here for visitors to review, comment on and discuss. This is in keeping with the principle of ‘Fair dealing’ or ‘Fair use’. Visitors may click on the publication name, in the news story, to visit the original article as it appears on the publication’s website.
Source: Times of India
