The British Liver Trust and NHS Lanarkshire are encouraging members of the public in Coatbridge to get their liver checked for free outside St Patrick’s Church, Main Street, ML5 3HB on Friday 16th June – with the arrival of a mobile liver screening roadshow.
The roadshow offers a unique chance for individuals to prioritise their liver health by receiving free liver screenings and gaining valuable information about various types of liver disease. Visitors to the unit will have the opportunity to undergo a free FibroScan, a non-invasive liver scan, and a swab test for hepatitis C if they are identified as being at high risk. These screenings are crucial as liver diseases, including hepatitis C, can often develop silently and lead to severe complications if left undetected.
Nine in 10 cases of liver disease are preventable with the main causes being alcohol, obesity and viral hepatitis, including hepatitis C.
Pamela Healy, chief executive of British Liver Trust, said, “One in three 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 often don’t 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.
Commenting, Local MSP Fulton MacGregor, said, “The Love Your Liver roadshow is a great opportunity for people to find out their risk of liver disease. Approximately 10% of the people that are scanned need to have further checks.”
The British Liver Trust’s Love Your Liver campaign focuses on three simple steps to Love Your Liver 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
Fulton MacGregor 