DIY liver test tells you how damage has been done

Oct 30 2007

According to the manufacturers, a simple DIY test can tell drinkers how much damage has been done to their livers.

{IMAGE}The manufacturers of the test called 'LiverCheck' say it has been introduced to give people some idea of how much their drinking has damaged their liver.

They say it will help users to take responsibility for their health, change unhealthy habits, and, if necessary, seek medical help.

Though excess drinking has become a concern in Britain experts have expressed caution about the test as it only reveals a snapshot of the health of the liver, and a good test result might unwittingly encourage excessive drinking.

The British Liver Trust says if a person waits for evidence of liver damage to show up on a test, irreversible damage may already have been done.

The Trust says people who are concerned about their health or about the risk of liver damage should seek advice from their doctor.

The LiverCheck test measures levels of two enzymes which leak into the blood from liver cells damaged by excessive alcohol intake and requires a tiny sample of blood which is then sent to a laboratory and until now such liver tests have only been available in hospitals and clinics.

Results are received within a week along with a colour-coded warning scale - those who score a dark amber or red, urgently need to cut back on their drinking, or stop completely.

The results come with a lifestyle brochure and all the relevant information needed to improve the health of the liver.

People whose results are off the scale will get a call from the laboratory, urging them to see a doctor.

Liver experts do believe the test will save lives and suggest if a person suspected they might get liver disease, they would do something about it.

LiverCheck they say could avoid them getting to the stage where they are doing themselves real harm.

Other experts point out that alcohol can affect other organs in the body as well as cause significant damage to the liver and even those who share a bottle of wine at dinner every night, are at risk.

The liver it seems will tolerate a great deal before it begins to complain and waiting until there is evidence of liver damage may be leaving it too late.

For those who are concerned about the state of their liver the symptoms of liver disease are pain in the liver (the lower right hand side of your ribs), a general feeling of poor health, fatigue and loss of appetite, a sick, and a nauseous feeling, especially in the mornings, which is often accompanied by diarrhoea.

Health experts estimate there are over 4,000 deaths a year through alcohol related liver disease.

Liver disease costs the NHS £1.7 billion a year and in many cases, people are blind to its onset.

The LiverCheck test costs £100, and is available online (LiverCheck.co.uk) and by telephone; no information on test results will appear on medical case notes or become part of a person's medical history.