The largest liver study in the history of the NHS is due for roll out next year, with the aim of preventing thousands of people at risk of liver disease from needing hospital care.
The study is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). It will involve over 40,000 people across the UK, half of whom will be invited for screening, via their GPs, for early signs of liver disease.
Co-led by hepatologists from UCL and the University of Leeds, researchers from the University of Nottingham’s School of Medicine have played a major role in designing the study and being awarded funding from NIHR to conduct the research. The collaboration also involves the Universities of Bristol, Dundee, Exeter, and Newcastle, NICE, and the British Liver Trust charity.
Vanessa Hebditch, Director of Communications and Policy at the British Liver Trust said, “We are delighted to be involved in this major new study which will look at how we can best identify people with liver disease in the community and ensure that they get earlier treatment.”
Professor Anthony Gordon, Programme Director for the NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme, which funded the trial, said: “Liver disease claims the lives of thousands of people each year. But evaluating screening interventions through high-quality research studies can hopefully lead to diagnosing this serious condition much earlier and prevent further deterioration.
“Studies like this have the potential to help save lives, improve patient outcomes, and enable people to live healthy, productive lives for longer.”
Preventable liver disease costs the NHS an estimated £4.9 billion annually
The study, the DIAgnosis of Liver diseaSe in primary care (DIALS) trial, has been awarded £3.4million by the NIHR.
Those at higher risk of liver disease due to excessive alcohol intake, Type 2 diabetes or obesity, will be invited for testing by participating GPs and a combination of three non-invasive liver tests will be used to determine the most efficient way to diagnose the condition early.
If these tests show someone might have cirrhosis, they will be referred to a specialist in hospital for further tests and treatment.
