Fatty liver patients likely to suffer from personality disorder

Patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are more likely to suffer from a personality disorder than people without the condition, a new study reveals.
Researchers also found that although NAFLD patients are aware that they must watch their food and exercise to keep the illness under control, they commonly engage in disordered eating habits.
NAFLD has become the most common cause of chronic liver disease in wealthy societies - responsible for a significant rise in liver-related deaths.
Up to one in three people in the UK has fatty liver disease. Whilst in its early stages there may be few symptoms, the disease can progress to cirrhosis and liver failure in at risk individuals such as diabetics.
Non-alcohol steatohepatitis – a more serious form of NAFLD, where the liver has become inflamed - is the most common cause of cirrhosis in industrialised countries where deaths from liver disease have increased fourfold over the last 50 years.
Researchers from the University of Birmingham show that NAFLD patients are about three times more likely to have a personality issue than those without the condition.
The researchers recommend that personality problems be checked for in NAFLD patients; if found, these mental health issues should be treated before the patients start trying to regulate their diet and increase their physical activity.