2023-09-04 06:58:00
Friday, September 8, at the Novotel hotel in La Grande-Motte, a symposium is organized on liver disease. The point with Professor Georges Philippe Pageaux, hepato-gastroenterologist in the expert service for the fight once morest viral hepatitis at the Montpellier University Hospital.
What are liver diseases?
It can be viral hepatitis, such as hepatitis B or C linked to AIDS. There are also alcohol-related liver diseases, which can lead to cirrhosis if consumed excessively. In France, out of 200,000 people with liver disease, 30% have decompensated cirrhosis, ie severe cirrhosis. And this disease causes 15,000 deaths a year.
Besides alcohol, what are the factors that can cause this disease?
90% of serious liver diseases are caused by excessive alcohol consumption. But then there may be the metabolism that comes into play, especially if the person is diabetic or overweight. So when there are several interlocking factors, for example being overweight and heavy alcohol consumption, this inevitably increases the risk.
Does it affect more men or women, or is it equivalent?
According to reports published by the WHO (World Health Organization), in France, in 2016, alcohol-related disorder represents 7% of the population. But of these 7%, the disorder is observed at 11% in men, and 3% in women. Regarding alcohol dependence, there too, if the average is 3.5%, 5.5% are men and 1.5% are women. So we can say that it concerns a little more men.
And how is the screening going? Is there an auspicious age?
We will start prevention from an early age, because alcohol consumption begins in adolescence. Then, when the liver is attacked, it reacts by becoming hard. But usually, when the liver begins to be hard, fibrosis – damage to the liver – does not appear immediately. It sometimes takes between 10 and 15 years for it to develop. So we will tend to screen around the age of 40, with a blood test which is a good screening test.
So this symposium will focus on all these aspects of the disease?
Effectively. The morning speeches will address the actions implemented by the Hépatites Occitanie coordination, but also the news on hepatitis and the management of liver disease due to alcohol, part for which I intervene. Then the followingnoon workshops will allow them to identify the possibilities for screening people isolated from healthcare centers in particular.
Friday, September 8, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Novitel hotel in La Grande-Motte. On registration at [email protected].
1693811179
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