It is time to show your liver some love – and Renfrewshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership and the British Liver Trust have teamed up to let you do just that. Renfrewshire residents can get their liver checked for free with the arrival of The British Liver Trust’s Love Your Liver roadshow.
The charity’s mobile screening unit will be rolling into County Square in Paisley on Monday, January 26 between 10am-3pm, and Morrisons car park in Johnstone, on Tuesday, January 27, between 10.00am and 2.00pm.
Visitors can complete an online health screener to learn their risk of developing liver disease and receive a quick, non-invasive liver scan, called a FibroScan. Specialist staff will also be on hand to provide information and advice on liver health.
Karen Nightingale of Renfrewshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership said: “We are delighted that the British Liver Trust will be bringing their Love Your Liver roadshow here this month. Ninety per cent (90%) of liver disease is preventable with the main causes being alcohol, obesity and viral hepatitis, but it rarely shows symptoms in the early stages.
“A FibroScan is a really simple test, but what it gives in terms of information about someone’s liver can make a huge difference. If the FibroScan reading indicates the need for further follow up, the clinical team will provide an advice letter for the participant to take to their GP.”
The scan uses high frequency sound waves to measure the stiffness of the liver and gives a score – a lower number indicates a softer, healthier liver, while a higher number indicates a stiffer liver, which may mean signs of liver disease. A healthy liver is smooth and soft – the scan checks how stiff the liver is. Scarring that causes fibrosis and cirrhosis makes your liver tough, lumpy and stiffer than normal.
Liver Nurse specialist Team lead Beth Speirs said: “A FibroScan is a painless and quick scan, which can take between five and 10 minutes. You will lie down so that we can pass the scanner over your liver, which is just under your ribcage on the right-hand side of your body, so all you have to do is lift your top or shirt a little bit.
“It’s a straightforward process that can provide information that can help with a number of conditions.”
Liver disease can be present without someone knowing as symptoms such as jaundice may not appear until damage has progressed to an advanced stage.
Consultant Hepatologist Dr Kathleen Bryce said: “People may have liver damage and be unaware of it, as this usually has no symptoms, so the FibroScan is key in the early detection of problems. These can range from having a fatty liver to cirrhosis, which then can lead to liver cancer or liver failure.
“In recent years, deaths from heart attacks and strokes have decreased, but deaths from liver disease have increased. In the UK, 1 in 5 of us have a fatty liver, associated with being overweight and having diabetes. In some cases, liver damage can be treated or reversed if caught early enough.
“By keeping a check on the condition of your liver, making lifestyle changes around diet, exercise and alcohol, you can stop any damage before it goes on to cause longer-term or more serious problems.”
Pamela Healy, Chief Executive of British Liver Trust, said, “We are delighted to partner with Renfrewshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership by bringing our roadshow to the area during Love Your Liver month in January and raising awareness of just how important the liver is. This amazing organ carries out more than 500 vital jobs such as digesting food, producing energy, fighting infections and removing toxins so it’s important to show it some love.”
The Love Your Liver campaign focuses on the three simple steps to love it back to health:
1. Drink within recommended limits and have three consecutive days off alcohol every week
2. Cut down on sugar, carbohydrates and fat, and take more exercise
3. Know the risk factors for viral hepatitis and get tested or vaccinated if at risk
If you are unable to attend the roadshows, you can still check your liver health online by visiting www.britishlivertrust.org.uk
For more information on the FibroScan mobile screening unit please see: https://britishlivertrust.org.uk/information-and-support/love-your-liver/roadshow/
