Published: 23:30 BST, 26 August 2026 | Updated: 23:45 BST, 26 August 2026
Britain faces a hidden epidemic of deadly fatty liver disease, a major study has suggested, with millions of cases potentially going undetected.
Scientists behind new research warn of an exponential rise in the condition – which causes cancer and lethal liver failure – with diagnoses surging five-fold in a decade.
But as many people suffer no symptoms in the early stages of the illness, it remains unnoticed in nine out of ten cases – and is only diagnosed when it is too late, and little can be done to treat it.
The researchers, from Barts Liver Centre in London, are calling for GPs to offer routine blood tests to high-risk patients in order to catch the disease early.
Fatty liver disease can often be slowed, halted or even reversed through weight loss and lifestyle changes before serious damage develops.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, co-author of the study Professor William Alazawi said the scale of the problem 'is only going to get bigger'.
'We are seeing younger and younger people with type 2 diabetes and obesity, and these are the leading risk factors for fatty liver disease.
'We should be flagging these patients early, when we can intervene to prevent complications like liver failure, cancer and associated conditions like heart disease.'
Known medically as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), the condition is not linked to heavy drinking—the more commonly known cause of liver problems
Fatty liver disease, also known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, is one of the world's most rapidly growing health conditions, affecting 1.3 billion people worldwide.
Previous studies suggest around one in four adults in Europe have the condition.
Yet, in the UK, just 284,00 adults – the equivalent of 2.4 per cent – had a recorded diagnosis in 2022, suggesting many cases remain undiagnosed.
The figure is up from just 0.5 per cent in 2012, reflecting a growing awareness of the condition among doctors and patients, as well as an increase in the number of Britons living with obesity – the biggest risk factor for the condition.
For the latest study, researchers analysed GP records from nearly 12 million people in the UK between 2003 and 2022, from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink.
