Overweight young men 'more likely to get severe liver disease'

Conclusion This cohort study aimed to assess whether a high BMI in late adolescence is associated with an increased risk of severe liver disease and liver cancer in later life. The researchers generally found a higher BMI was associated with an increased risk of severe liver disease, including liver cancer. A diagnosis of type 2 diabetes during follow-up was associated with a further increased risk of severe liver disease, regardless of BMI at the start of the study. This study included a very large population, and has used reliable sources of data for medical diagnoses and cause of death. But there are limitations to address: A study like this isn't able to prove higher BMI in late adolescence is the cause of severe liver disease – it can only suggest this as a possible explanation. The researchers adjusted their analyses for various health and lifestyle factors measured at baseline. But these things – such as cardiovascular fitness – may not have remained consistent during life. There are also a number of possible contributing factors, such as alcohol consumption, smoking and diet, which weren't considered that could have had an influence. BMI was only measured at the start of the study. It's highly likely this varied during the course of the follow-up period. The links also aren't entirely linear – that is, there's not a consistent pattern of increasing risk with increasing BMI across the results. This means the relationship isn't completely clear...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Obesity Cancer Source Type: news