Mohali: On the occasion of World Liver Day, Shalby Hospital, Mohali, launched an awareness campaign regarding fatty liver diseases on Saturday. As part of this campaign, the hospital is offering free liver health check-ups—along with FibroScan services at subsidized rates—every Saturday.
Dr. Rahul Gupta, Senior Hepatologist at Shalby Hospital, Mohali, stated, "Due to sedentary lifestyles, poor dietary habits, obesity, diabetes, and dyslipidemia, the prevalence of fatty liver issues is rising rapidly across Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Chandigarh."
Dr. Gupta further added, "Liver disease is a 'silent killer' that is disproportionately affecting Punjab. In Punjab alone, fatty liver is being detected via ultrasound in over 40% of urban adults—a figure that stood at 25% just a decade ago. Furthermore, fatty liver disease is being observed in 70% of the 1.5 crore diabetic patients across the state."
He explained that early detection through a FibroScan can help identify symptoms, as clinical signs often manifest only after 70–80% of liver damage has already occurred.
Dr. Arunanshu Behera, Director of Gastrointestinal, HPB, and Liver Transplant Services, noted that Chandigarh's "desk-job culture"—combined with a calorie-rich Punjabi diet—is contributing to the rise of liver diseases in the region.
He emphasized that certain lifestyle modifications—such as engaging in 30 minutes of daily exercise, adopting a low-carbohydrate diet, and maintaining strict control over diabetes—can effectively reverse the disease in its early stages in 60–70% of patients.