Liver disease
The hospital admission rate due to liver disease in the borough of Rochdale is 141.1 per 100,000 population (Office for Health Improvement and Disparities 2021 (based on Hospital Episode Statistics). This is above the national rate of 124.3 per 100,000 people.
What is liver disease?
Most types of liver disease don't cause any symptoms in the early stages. However, once these symptoms do start the liver is already damaged and scarred. This is known as cirrhosis. Liver disease constitutes the third most common cause of premature death in the UK and is most prevalent in the poorest and most vulnerable areas of society.
Liver disease risk factors
There are a number of different causes of liver disease, but the three main ones are obesity, alcohol misuse and undiagnosed hepatitis infections. Liver disease is largely preventable, with the remaining 5% of cases attributable to autoimmune disorders. Alcohol is the most common cause of liver disease in England, accounting for over a third of liver disease deaths.
The Hepatitis B virus is transmitted through contact with infected blood or other body fluids. Most acute symptomatic infections are acquired through adult risk behaviours such as the injection of drugs and sexual contact. The Hepatitis C virus is mainly transmitted through contact with infected blood. Injected drug use is the most important risk factor for infection within the UK.
Statistics on liver disease
- NHS Digital – Quality Outcome Framework - the prevalence of liver disease in the borough can be viewed through the Quality Outcomes Framework tool on the NHS Digital site. It also allows you to see data down to GP Practice level for a number of conditions.
- Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) – Liver Disease Profiles - the liver disease profiles provide an invaluable resource relating to one of the main causes of premature mortality and contain key facts, prevention strategies, questions that you should ask locally and links to further resources.
- Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) - Premature mortality visualisation tool - the Longer Lives mortality tool highlights premature mortality across every local authority in England, giving people important information to help them improve their community's health. It includes data for liver disease.
Guidance and information on liver disease
- National Institute of Health and Social Care Excellence (NICE) guidance - Liver conditions - NICE has produced a number of documents that cover liver disease including guidance on chronic liver disease, alcohol-use disorders, cirrhosis, liver cancer and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
- Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) - Liver disease: applying All Our Health - evidence and information to help healthcare professionals raise awareness of risk factors for liver disease.