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Sunday, January 9, 2011

Diabetes Alert: Fatty Liver a Forerunner to Diabetes

During the routine check-up, if you get diagnosed with a fatty liver, sit up and take notice. Fat deposits in liver are an invitation to diabetes, according to leading endocrinologist Dr Anoop Mishra. The doctor has even identified two genes which are responsible for the faulty liver metabolism.

Dr Mishra, who is chairman of the Fortis-CDOC Centre for Excellence for Diabetes, New Delhi, was in Ahmedabad to participate in the conference of Association of Physicians of India (APICON). He said that there was 50 per cent hike in the number of cases where fat deposits on the liver compromised the metabolism.

What's more, there is little awareness about the disease even among the physicians. "It is not as innocuous as it looks. It is known to develop into liver failure or liver cancer. Recent studies have shown that fatty liver also increased chances of diabetes," said Dr Mishra.

Genes SREBP-2 and PPAR gamma are the two genes we have identified that lead to a fatty liver. Urban population that consumes more oily food, has a sedentary lifestyle and specially those who consume large quantities of alcohol are at risk of getting the disease, which is now also part of the metabolic syndrome," said Dr Mishra.

Research has shown that two drugs used in diabetes can help treat fatty liver as well. The other medicine is simple. "Vitamin E is reported to have good use in curing fatty liver," said Dr Mishra.

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