One in five young adults has fatty liver disease (steatosis), with one in 40 having already developed liver scarring (fibrosis), research has found.
The study is the first to attempt to determine the prevalence of fatty liver disease and fibrosis in young healthy adults in the UK.
Fatty liver disease is broadly split into non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is usually seen in people who are overweight or obese, and alcohol-related fatty liver disease.
If left untreated both can lead to fibrosis (scarring of the liver) and, in severe cases, eventually cirrhosis of the liver, which is irreversible.
The research looked at data collected from 4021 participants of the Children of the 90s study, also known as the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.
Researchers first looked at those participants who did not report harmful alcohol consumption and found that one in five had NAFLD.
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