Obese Drinkers Face Liver �Double Whammy�

Drinkers who are overweight face a �double whammy� impact on their liver, research suggests. Two studies of more than a million UK men and women suggest excess weight and alcohol act together to raise the risk of cirrhosis and other liver diseases. Obese women who drink little more than a glass of wine a day have almost double the risk of liver disease than other women, the researchers said. A similar effect is seen in men, the British Medical Journal reported. The authors of the research said �safe� alcohol limits for the overweight may need to be redefined. Rates of liver disease and obesity are increasing in the UK. Alcohol is a major cause of liver cirrhosis and there is mounting evidence that excess weight also plays a role. In the first study, researchers at the University of Oxford studied more than a million middle-aged women in England and Wales. They found that being overweight or obese increased the likelihood of developing liver cirrhosis. Dr Bette Liu of Oxford�s Cancer Epidemiology Unit said: �We estimate that almost 20% of liver cirrhosis in middle-aged UK women is due to excess weight, while almost 50% is due to alcohol consumption.� The second study said they drank 15 or more units a week had the greatest risk of liver diseases; almost 19 times higher than those who were slim. Writing in the BMJ, the authors said their findings have important health implications. They said lower body mass index (BMI) specific �safe� limits of alcohol consumption may need to be defined. National plan Lead author Dr Carole Hart of the University of Glasgow said: �Further research might show that there could be different limits more applicable to overweight and obese people.� Alison Rogers of the British Liver Trust said the data showed a �double whammy effect� where two causes of liver disease both impact on a person�s liver together, and the impact is greater than the sum of the parts. The Department of Health said liver disease was a growing problem and they were developing a national strategy to manage it. A spokesperson said: �Prevention is always better than cure and our public health campaigns on drinking and obesity reflects this.�