HUNDREDS of people were admitted to hospital for liver disease in York in the year to March 2022, new figures show.

And a doctor in the city said 90 per cent of cases of liver disease in the UK are caused by just three things.

Figures from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities suggest there were 265 hospital admissions for liver disease in York last year – equivalent to 138 admissions for every 100,000 people.

Generally, men are more likely to be hospitalised for liver disease. But in York, there were 137 admissions for liver disease per 100,000 men, compared to 142 for women.

Dr David Fair, of the Jorvik Medical Group in York, said: "The liver has hundreds of different functions in the body and there are a couple of hundred different diseases of the human liver. However about 90 per cent of cases of liver disease are caused by just three things - alcohol, fatty liver disease and viral hepatitis.

"Rates of alcohol excess drinking in the UK went up in the last three years, possibly due to more people drinking more heavily at home during the Covid lock-down periods. It is worth remembering that liver damage occurs if you drink an average of two pints of beer a day or its equivalent. Liver damage is occurring even if you do not feel drunk.

"The second most common cause is fatty liver disease which is correlated with being overweight or having diabetes. Both these risk factors for fatty liver disease are becoming more common. Of course, it is possible to have alcoholic liver disease and fatty liver disease in one person and this is especially dangerous.

"The third most common cause of liver disease is viral hepatitis and this is thankfully becoming less frequent as medical advances have improved treatment outcomes. Liver disease from any cause often has no symptoms to start with but as it progresses people start to feel lethargic and tired. Liver disease is detectable with simple tests which can be organised through your GP and it can be cured provided it is detected early."

National admission rates have increased by 22 per cent in the year to 2021/22 compared to the year before – rising to 82,000 from 67,000 in 2020/21.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said it is investing £532 million into drug and alcohol treatment services and care teams in hospitals with the most alcohol-related hospital admissions.

The spokesperson added: “Identifying disease early in those at-risk and supporting them to stop drinking is key to halt or even reverse damage to the liver.

"That’s why it’s good news an increasing number of people are coming forward for alcohol risk assessments as part of the NHS health check."