By Dr. Patrice Powell, DNP, AGNP-C | Board-Certified Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner | Founder, Outlier Health & Wellness
Quick Answer: October is Liver Awareness Month. About 100 million Americans have some form of liver disease, but most don’t know it because liver damage often causes no symptoms until it’s advanced. Simple blood tests can check your liver health. All adults should be tested for hepatitis B and hepatitis C at least once, and people with obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol should ask about fatty liver disease.
Liver Awareness Month: Love Your Liver
Your liver works hard every day. It filters toxins, helps digest food, stores energy, and makes proteins your body needs. This Liver Awareness Month, Outlier Health & Wellness in Fresh Meadows, Queens is encouraging our community to learn their risk and get checked, because many liver diseases can be treated or even reversed when caught early.
Liver Disease by the Numbers
- About 100 million Americans live with some form of liver disease.
- Only about 4.5 million U.S. adults have a formal liver disease diagnosis.
- An estimated 80 to 100 million U.S. adults have fatty liver disease, and many don’t know it.
- Liver cancer rates have more than tripled since 1980.
Common Types of Liver Disease
- Fatty liver disease (MASLD): fat buildup in the liver linked to weight, diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol. It was formerly called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
- Alcohol-related liver disease: damage from drinking too much alcohol over time.
- Viral hepatitis: hepatitis B and hepatitis C infections, which can silently damage the liver for years.
- Cirrhosis: severe scarring of the liver from long-term damage.
- Liver cancer: often linked to cirrhosis, hepatitis B or C, or fatty liver disease.
Who Is at Higher Risk?
- People with obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol or triglycerides
- People who drink alcohol heavily
- People who were born in, or whose parents were born in, countries where hepatitis B is common, including parts of Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and Eastern Europe
- People who have ever injected drugs, received a blood transfusion before 1992, or had tattoos or piercings with unsterile equipment
- People with a family history of liver disease or liver cancer
Warning Signs
Liver disease is often silent in the early stages. When symptoms appear, they may include:
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice)
- Dark urine or pale stools
- Swelling in the belly or legs
- Ongoing tiredness, nausea, or loss of appetite
- Itchy skin or easy bruising
Don’t wait for symptoms. If you have risk factors, ask your provider about testing.
4 Ways to Protect Your Liver
- Get tested. All adults should be screened for hepatitis B and hepatitis C at least once.
- Get vaccinated against hepatitis A and B if you aren’t already protected.
- Limit alcohol. Less is better for your liver. Take acetaminophen (Tylenol) and supplements only as directed, since too much can harm the liver.
- Move and eat well. Diabetes, extra weight, and high cholesterol raise fatty liver risk. Even modest weight loss can reduce liver fat.
Liver Health FAQs
When is Liver Awareness Month?
Liver Awareness Month is observed every October in the United States, along with Liver Cancer Awareness Month.
How many people have liver disease?
About 100 million Americans have some form of liver disease, yet only about 4.5 million adults have a formal diagnosis.
What is MASLD?
MASLD, or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, is the new name for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. It is fat buildup in the liver linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
Should I get tested for hepatitis?
Yes. The CDC recommends that all adults 18 and older be tested for hepatitis B and hepatitis C at least once, with more frequent testing for people at ongoing risk.
Can liver damage be reversed?
Many liver conditions, including early fatty liver disease, can improve or reverse with weight loss, healthy eating, exercise, limiting alcohol, and treatment. Hepatitis C can usually be cured with medication.
Where can I get my liver checked in Queens?
Outlier Health & Wellness provides primary care for patients 16 and older in its Fresh Meadows, Queens office and through house calls across Queens, Brooklyn, Nassau County, and Suffolk County, including liver blood tests and hepatitis screening. Call 888-855-2584 to schedule.
A Simple Blood Test Can Check Your Liver
Call 888-855-2584 to schedule an appointment or house call. Monday–Friday 9 AM–6 PM, Saturday 10 AM–3 PM, by appointment only. Interpreter services available in many languages.
Love your liver this October and all year long. 💚
Statistics: American Liver Foundation; Johns Hopkins Medicine; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
