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BURSTOW - LIVER DISEASE ROCKETS IN UNDER 40s AS ALCOHOL FUELED HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS DOUBLE
December 30, 2008 9:13 AM
New figures obtained by Liberal Democrat MP, Paul Burstow, show that the number of people admitted to hospital as a result of health problems caused by alcohol has more than doubled in the last ten years.
The figures released to Mr Burstow in answer to a parliamentary question show that doctors are diagnosing more than twice as many cases of liver disease among people under 40 as a decade ago. The number of cases of alcoholic liver disease rose by 119 per cent amongst the under 40s, to 6,495. In all 43,548 people were admitted to hospital last year with alcoholic liver disease a rise of 139 per cent.
Paul Burstow MP said, "These figures expose an iceberg effect where enormous problems are being stored up for the NHS in the future. Alcoholic liver damage takes 10-20 years to develop, so in the past it did not became apparent until people were in their fifties or sixties. But these figures show a growing trend with in people who are in their thirties being diagnosed with liver disease caused by alcohol consumption.
"Behind these figures are huge human and financial costs. The human cost in terms of poor health and premature death and the financial cost in terms of the drain on the NHS and the lost productivity must be huge."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7804896.stm
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml?xml=/global/2003/12/30/brbooz30.xml
ENDS
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