{"id":56196,"date":"2025-08-10T02:39:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-10T02:39:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/56196\/"},"modified":"2025-08-10T02:39:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-10T02:39:09","slug":"hannah-barely-drank-and-walked-10000-steps-a-day-but-she-turned-out-to-have-a-near-deadly-liver-disease-now-afflicting-15-million-brits-here-are-the-troubling-signs-she-missed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/56196\/","title":{"rendered":"Hannah barely drank and walked 10,000 steps a day. But she turned out to have a near-deadly liver disease now afflicting 15 MILLION Brits. Here are the troubling signs she missed"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Hannah Fewtrell found herself, at the age of 49, constantly exhausted with low mood \u2013 shadows etched beneath her eyes, no matter how much she slept \u2013 she put it down to the menopause<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Yes, the recruitment consultant from Lapworth, Warwickshire, was carrying a little extra weight, but she was otherwise in good health.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She walked miles each day with her dog, spent weekends cooking for her extended family and had no reason to suspect anything more sinister was at play.<\/p>\n

But in October last year a scan revealed the shocking truth: her symptoms weren\u2019t hormonal at all, but the result of a common and often overlooked liver condition.<\/p>\n

Hannah was diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease \u2013 now officially renamed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) \u2013 a condition thought to affect up to 15 million Britons.<\/p>\n

As the name implies, the condition is not linked to heavy drinking \u2013 the more commonly known cause of liver problems. Instead, MASLD occurs when excess fat builds up inside the liver, and it is said to be on the rise in the UK, linked to spiralling rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Experts warn sedentary lifestyles and an increasing reliance on ultra-processed, high salt, fat and sugar foods are also driving the condition to develop in ever-younger adults.<\/p>\n

Professor Penny Manousou, who heads the fatty liver research group at Imperial College London, says: \u2018It\u2019s a lifestyle issue.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Last <\/p>\n

Last year, Hannah Fewtrell was diagnosedd with a common and often overlooked liver condition\u00a0\u2013 non-alcoholic fatty liver disease<\/p>\n

A generation of children have grown up inactive, sitting in front of an Xbox and eating processed food \u2013 and so we\u2019ve seen obesity in younger and younger age groups.<\/p>\n

\u2018Obese children are likely to remain obese in adulthood and this is when the problems with the liver begin to ramp up.\u2019<\/p>\n

Where liver disease was once largely confined to the elderly and heavy drinkers, it is now rising rapidly among younger adults.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cases in children have doubled over the past two decades. The British Liver Trust estimates the condition may now affect one in five people in the UK \u2013 though Prof Manousou warns the true figure could be as high as 40 per cent.<\/p>\n

Worryingly, around 80 per cent of those affected remain undiagnosed, as the disease often has no obvious symptoms \u2013 or it has symptoms that are mistaken for less serious problems.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In most cases, it is only spotted during routine blood tests or liver function tests carried out for unrelated issues.<\/p>\n

While not everyone with fat in their liver will go on to develop serious complications, the build-up can impair the organ\u2019s normal function and cause inflammation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Over time, healthy liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue \u2013 a process that can ultimately lead to cirrhosis and liver failure.<\/p>\n

However, if caught early, there is now strong evidence that the damage can be halted \u2013 and maybe even reversed. Studies show that losing weight can transform the disease from a silent killer into a manageable condition.<\/p>\n

Professor Philip Newsome, a liver specialist at King\u2019s College London, says: \u2018We used to believe that cirrhosis was permanent, but we now know that if you tackle the cause of the injury \u2013 whether that\u2019s fat, alcohol or viral causes such as hepatitis B \u2013 the scarring can reduce. When caught earlier, before cirrhosis sets in, we can definitely see a reversal.\u2019<\/p>\n

Hannah is proof of that. A private fibroscan at The Liver Clinic in London \u2013 a test that uses ultrasound waves to measure liver stiffness and detect scarring or fat build-up \u2013 showed she had stage three fatty liver disease, just one step away from cirrhosis.<\/p>\n

\u2018I was in shock,\u2019 she admits. \u2018I\u2019m not that old and I thought I looked after myself. I wasn\u2019t really overweight, my partner and I only drank at the weekends and I was hitting 10,000 steps a day.<\/p>\n

\"At <\/p>\n

At Hannah\u2019s most recent scan in March, she was told the condition of her liver had improved massively<\/p>\n

\u2018But my skin was dry, I had dark circles under my eyes and I looked permanently exhausted, even after a full night\u2019s sleep.<\/p>\n

\u2018My mood was low and I was constantly arguing with my partner. The diagnosis totally changed my mindset.\u2019<\/p>\n

She was referred to a nutritionist and lost a stone in weight. At her most recent scan in March, she was told the condition of her liver had improved massively.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2018I feel so much better,\u2019 she says. \u2018I have so much more energy. I am sleeping better and I am much less bloated \u2013 I recently went on holiday and I felt so confident.\u2019<\/p>\n

The science is clear about what works to prompt such astonishing changes. Studies suggest losing at least five per cent of your body weight can reduce inflammation and fat in the liver.<\/p>\n

There are specific ways of achieving this that are most effective, experts say.<\/p>\n

The highly successful DiRECT trial, which proved type 2 diabetes could be reversed \u2013 using meal replacement shakes and soups to put participants on an 800-calorie-a-day regime over 12 to 20 weeks \u2013 noted a \u2018significant\u2019 reduction in liver fat.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While Professor Manousou says that some patients might find extreme low-calorie diets helpful as an \u2018initial boost\u2019 to lose a few pounds, it is not the best long-term approach.<\/p>\n

\u2018It works, but it isn\u2019t sustainable in the longer term,\u2019 she says. \u2018What is clinically proven to help is the Mediterranean diet. We know that, even if you don\u2019t lose weight, it will help reduce your liver fat.\u2019<\/p>\n

The diet involves eating lean meat and fish, wholegrains such as brown rice and pasta, nuts and seeds, beans and lentils, healthy fats such as olive oil, and plenty of fruit and vegetables.<\/p>\n

\u2018Whatever you eat, it should be unprocessed,\u2019 she adds. \u2018Avoid the takeaways and the sugary snacks.\u2019<\/p>\n

Although the condition isn\u2019t caused by drinking alcohol, even moderate drinking may worsen it \u2013 so cutting down or even abstaining is recommended.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One major analysis of the evidence found that the most effective way to reverse fatty liver disease was to combine diet with exercise \u2013 and, in particular, to combine aerobic exercise such as brisk walking, running, cycling or swimming with resistance or strength training, which involves using weights or doing yoga or pilates.<\/p>\n

Prof Newsome says: \u2018While studies show exercise in itself isn\u2019t a great way of losing weight, people who exercise more have less liver fat.<\/p>\n

\u2018That remains the case even if they don\u2019t lose weight. It may be to do with improving muscle function, which increases the ability of muscles to burn fat for energy, making it less likely to accumulate in the liver.\u2019<\/p>\n

Studies suggest the optimal amount of exercise is between 150 and 300 minutes a week, spread over three to five days.<\/p>\n

Ideally this should include three aerobic sessions and two strength training sessions. And the latter could be \u2018even more important\u2019, says Prof Manousou. \u2018We think it makes an even bigger difference to liver fat than cardio,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

\u2018A study we\u2019re about to publish shows that, if you ask a patient to sit on a chair and stand up five times, the time it takes for them to do that correlates with their disease severity. It\u2019s to do with leg muscle function.<\/p>\n

\u2018Once you can do that faster, it\u2019s likely you\u2019ll have reduced your disease severity.\u2019<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t need an expensive gym membership, the experts add \u2013 strength training can involve squats, raising cans of beans, or walking up and down the stairs.<\/p>\n

\u2018The point is to get your heart rate up and become slightly breathless,\u2019 says Prof Newsome. \u2018That doesn\u2019t mean running 5k three times a week. It may just be walking to the end of the street and back, and doing that a little faster each week.\u2019<\/p>\n

Jules Hutton, 54, adopted a Mediterranean diet and started going to the gym four times a week when she was diagnosed with \u2018moderate\u2019 fatty liver disease in 2021 after having an ultrasound for an unrelated abdominal issue.<\/p>\n

The mother-of-two, who lives in Warrington, Cheshire, swapped her usual breakfast cereal for porridge or Greek yogurt and fruit, had omelettes or stir-fries rather than lunchtime sandwiches, and modified her family\u2019s evening meals to include more vegetables and lean protein.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Her Body Mass Index dropped from 26.5 \u2013 which is slightly overweight \u2013 to 21, and scans show that, four years on, she has still successfully reversed the disease.<\/p>\n

\u2018I feel 100 per cent better,\u2019 she says. \u2018The thing with this condition is that there are no symptoms and I\u2019d thought I was relatively healthy. But now I\u2019ve got so much more energy.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"Liver <\/p>\n

Liver specialist Professor Manousou says that a Mediterranean diet is clinically proven to help the condition. \u2018We know that, even if you don\u2019t lose weight, it will help reduce your liver fat,\u2019 he says<\/p>\n

Hannah took a similar approach, swapping carbs and Sunday roasts for scrambled eggs, homemade soups and meat skewers with salad, and stir-fries and curries with lentils and chickpeas.<\/p>\n

She also curbed her sweet tooth by swapping her favourite Cadbury\u2019s Dairy Milk for a square of good-quality dark chocolate.<\/p>\n

\u2018If I\u2019d left it any longer, there\u2019s a chance it could have become really bad,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s scary because I felt OK, I was functioning \u2013 but when it comes to liver disease and liver damage, you don\u2019t know the extent of it.\u2019<\/p>\n

Not everyone can stick to the lifestyle changes that are needed, but even here there is good news. Drug treatments being trialled are demonstrating \u2018significant improvements\u2019, says Prof Newsome, and can reduce liver fat, reduce inflammation and reduce scarring.<\/p>\n

One such drug is semaglutide, the active ingredient in weight-loss jabs Ozempic and Wegovy. Prof Newsome adds: \u2018I\u2019m going to be presenting work in the US in November which suggests it\u2019s not just the weight loss that has the effect \u2013 something else is also going on to reduce liver fat.<\/p>\n

\u2018When we compared people who lost the same amount of weight through diet and exercise to people on semaglutide, the latter had a much bigger increase in beneficial effects on the liver. We still don\u2019t really know why.\u2019<\/p>\n

Another drug in late-stage trials is resmetirom, which targets a specific receptor in the liver to prevent the build-up of fat.<\/p>\n

It can also reduce inflammation and fibrosis.<\/p>\n

It is already approved in the US but Prof Manousou says it only works in \u2018around 20 per cent\u2019 of patients \u2013 and is expensive, costing \u00a335,000 per patient, per year.<\/p>\n

A third drug at an earlier stage is efruxifermin, which has been shown to combat liver cirrhosis.<\/p>\n

\u2018Drugs might be helpful for some people but they\u2019re not a solution,\u2019 Prof Manousou says.<\/p>\n

\u2018The bottom line is that if you exercise and eat healthily, you won\u2019t get fat in your liver.<\/p>\n

\u2018But if you don\u2019t, it will accelerate the process of getting fat in your liver.\u2019<\/p>\n

DID EXPENSIVE SUPPLEMENT CURE SAM? \"Sma <\/p>\n

Sma Cook claims to have been able to reverse his liver condition with a combination of a\u00a0herbal product called De-liver-ance, alongside diet and exercise<\/p>\n

A host of supplements are marketed as being able to \u2018boost liver health\u2019 \u2013 but the evidence behind them is shaky at best.<\/p>\n

Milk thistle is among the most popular, often touted as a way to detox the liver or cure hangovers. Other widely promoted options include vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids and plant extracts such as curcumin, silymarin and berberine.<\/p>\n

One herbal product, called De-liver-ance, has gained a cult following thanks to claims \u2013 based on mouse studies \u2013 that it can reduce liver fat.<\/p>\n

Sam Cook, a father-of-three from London, was diagnosed with late-stage fatty liver disease at the age of 42. Now 55, he credits the supplement \u2013 which costs more than \u00a320 for a single dose \u2013 alongside diet and exercise, for helping him reverse the condition and lose more than two stone.<\/p>\n

But liver specialists caution there is currently no robust clinical evidence that any supplements work.<\/p>\n

\u2018The likelihood of it being a placebo effect is high,\u2019 says Professor Penny Manousou, a liver specialist at Imperial College London.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She warns that some herbal supplements may even harm the liver or interfere with other medications, adding: \u2018Long-term use of vitamin E has also been linked to prostate cancer in some men and an increased risk of bleeding.\u2019<\/p>\n

Dr Thomas Drake, a research fellow at the Usher Institute in Edinburgh, insists the best way to improve liver health remains simple: adopt a healthier lifestyle. \u2018If you commit to it, most people can start to see positive results in just a few months,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n

The British Liver Trust recommends asking your GP for a liver blood test if you are concerned about liver health. The charity is also running a nationwide Love Your Liver roadshow, which gives everyone the opportunity to have a liver scan. For more details, along with information and support about fatty liver disease, visit britishlivertrust.org.uk.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Hannah Fewtrell found herself, at the age of 49, constantly exhausted with low mood \u2013 shadows etched…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":56197,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[97,59,102,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-56196","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-dailymail","9":"tag-gb","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-uk","12":"tag-united-kingdom","13":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56196"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56196\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}