Peterborough to host Love Your Liver roadshow

The roadshow, which is one of the British Liver Trust’s national campaigns, will be based in Cathedral Square in Peterborough city centre on Thursday (March 10) from 10am to 4pm. Volunteers will ask members of the public if they would like to complete a questionnaire, which will highlight if they are at a moderate or high risk of developing disease of the liver. They will then be given the opportunity to speak to clinical experts who can provide advice and offer the opportunity to have a FibroScan.

The FibroScan creates shearwaves, which feels like a tapping or flicking of the skin. This then picks up any potential fibrosis or scarring which can be a sign of conditions such as fatty liver, poor diet, high alcohol consumption or diabetes. If the scan does detect any cause for concern then the individual will be given a letter to take to their GP for a referral.

Rachel Dix, Acting Ward Manager on A10, at Peterborough City Hospital, who is supporting on the day, said: “We have seen an increase in the number of patients coming into hospital with liver disease and lockdown has perpetuated the situation further. In particular there has been a steady increase in patients in their 40’s, but if we can catch conditions such as fibrosis of the liver early and educate people to look at factors such as their diet and alcohol intake, then we can avoid irreversible conditions such as Cirrhosis.”

Pamela Healy, Chief Executive of the British Liver Trust, said: “One in five of us are at risk of liver disease and the numbers of people being diagnosed have been increasing at an alarming rate. Liver damage develops silently with no signs or symptoms and people don’t often realise they have a problem until it is too late. Although the liver is remarkably resilient, if left until symptoms appear, the damage is often irreversible.”