Annual cases of liver cancer in the U.S. have tripled over the past four decades. In a report published earlier this year, the American Cancer Society reports that an estimated 42,340 new cases will be diagnosed in 2026. And other types of liver disease are equally on the rise.
The liver is a powerful and essential organ: It filters our blood, helps maintain sugar levels, stores energy and plays an essential role in digestion.
Poor diet, lack of exercise and other medical conditions can contribute to liver cancer and other types of liver disease, which are on the rise not just in the U. S. but globally.
Mark Hughes, M.D., a board-certified gastroenterologist with Orlando Health, says there are two main causes for this.
“Our obesity epidemic is resulting in a major increase in cases of MASH, which stands for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, a severe form of fatty liver disease, and other liver diseases.
“Because of unhealthy lifestyle choices, liver disease is presenting in much younger people. In addition to the excess weight they carry, they are much less active.”
Another cause of increasing liver disease is the aging population, according to Dr. Hughes.
“When we died in our 50s and 60s, we didn’t have the years to develop cirrhosis and other liver diseases,” he says.
The size and volume of the liver shrinks as we age, particularly after the age of 65, making it more susceptible to disease, according to Yale News. Blood supply to the liver declines by as much as 40-percent with advanced age, further reducing the liver’s metabolic capacity.
But the increase in liver disease is not confined to older people. Dr. Humberto Gonzalez, a hepatologist at Henry Ford Health, says that advanced, alcohol-related liver disease is also becoming more common among adults in their 20s and 30s.
Dr. Hughes says the term liver disease is a broad designation for any condition that damages the liver and affects how it works.
“The liver helps clean your blood, process nutrients and fight off infections like hepatitis. When it’s damaged, it can’t perform these jobs well. Over time, liver disease can lead to cirrhosis, severe scarring, liver cancer, liver failure and the need for a new liver.”
At the same time, it’s often possible to prevent liver disease, or even reverse it, with diet and lifestyle changes alone.
“The good news is that you can take steps to improve liver health. One of the benefits of ads for GLP drugs is that they’re raising awareness of just what obesity does to your body,” says Dr. Hughes.
Here are some habits that put the liver at risk:
- Drinking too much alcohol. Regular alcohol consumption, metabolic dysfunction or a combination of both can contribute to something called steatotic liver disease. Fat accumulates in the liver and can lead to inflammation, scarring and cirrhosis. Binge drinking (consuming five or more drinks on one occasion) is the most harmful. “If you have mild or no disease, moderation is the key,” says Dr. Hughes.
- Overdoing it on sugar and fats. There’s a wealth of evidence linking high sugar consumption, particularly from sugary beverages, to MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease). Added sugars like high fructose corn syrup, which is present in many ultra processed foods and sodas, are particularly damaging to the liver. Adds Dr. Hughes, “You need to control your lipids, so staying on your cholesterol medication is important.
- Relying on supplements and vitamins. Dr. Hughes states, “No supplements are FDA approved. Another trend is vitamin dowsing, in which people take mega-doses of vitamins, some of which can hurt and cause toxicity to your liver. Vitamins A, C and E would fall into that category.”
Which habits can you adopt for a healthier liver? - Exercising and maintaining a healthy weight. “Get your weight under control,” says Dr. Hughes. “Losing weight can help reduce fat buildup, inflammation and scarring in the liver.” GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have been a gamechanger, but Medical News Today, an online publisher of health news and medical information, notes Wegovy is prescribed in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and exercise, so it’s important to focus on a balanced diet while taking the medication.
- Aiming for a Mediterranean-style diet. The Mediterranean diet, which centers on fresh fruits, vegetables, fish and legumes and is rich in healthy fats, has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death in people with nonalcoholic liver disease.
Dr. Hughes says that staying up to date on primary care is important, too. “Get hepatitis B and hepatitis C vaccines where and when appropriate and as recommended by your primary care physician.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that all adults be screened at least once for hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Both can be treated. Adults should also be vaccinated against hepatitis B if they weren’t as babies.
“Your primary care doctor can also check your fibrosis level with a simple blood test,” explains Dr. Hughes. “It used to require a biopsy, but the new procedure is much simpler.”
Fibrosis level measures the amount of scarring present in your liver.
“Based on a variety of test results, your primary care doctor will send you to a specialist sooner rather than later.”
Mark Hughes, M.D., is a gastroenterologist with Orlando Health Medical Group. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Murray State University in Kentucky and received his medical degree from the University of Louisville. He completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock and a gastroenterology and hepatology fellowship at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Hughes is board-certified in gastroenterology and hepatology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. His office is located at Orlando Health Medical Group Gastroenterology-Sebastian, 12920 U.S. 1 Suite B. Can call 772-589-0580 for an appointment.
