Heavy drinkers should receive liver scans, new guidance advises

New draft advice from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has directed that women who regularly drink over three-and-a-half bottles of wine per week should be referred for a liver scan.

The organisation has confirmed that GPs should refer patients who are believed to be ‘armful drinkers’ to have their livers checked for damage, including cirrhosis.

Cirrhosis of the liver is often a silent condition, that is not spotted until the damage becomes extensive enough to cause organ failure.

The news comes after a report form Public Health England (PHE) warned that nearly 2 million people in England are drinking harmful amounts of alcohol - more than 50 units a week for men and 35 units a week for women.

Prof Gillian Leng, deputy chief executive of NICE, said: "Many people with liver disease do not show symptoms until it is too late.

"If it is tackled at an early stage, simple lifestyle changes or treatments can be enough for the liver to recover. Early diagnosis is vital, as is action to both prevent and halt the damage that drinking too much alcohol can do."

Dr Andrew Fowell, liver expert at the Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "Identifying people who are at risk of liver disease and offering them non-invasive testing to diagnose cirrhosis is key to ensuring they are given the treatment and support they need early enough to prevent serious complications.

"Ten years ago diagnosis of cirrhosis would often require a liver biopsy, but now with advances in non-invasive testing it is much easier for patients and health professionals to make a diagnosis."