Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden have demonstrated that a common blood test can predict the risk of developing severe liver diseases up to a decade before their onset. These findings were published in The BMJ. The method, named CORE, relies on just three routine indicators—the levels of enzymes AST, ALT, and GGT—and also takes into account the patient`s age and sex.
The study involved monitoring the health of over 480,000 residents of Stockholm for up to 30 years. Among them, 1.5% developed cirrhosis, liver cancer, or required an organ transplant. The new CORE test accurately distinguished (with 88% precision) individuals who later developed serious liver pathologies from those who did not. Its effectiveness significantly surpasses existing methods, such as FIB-4, which perform poorly in the general population.
This innovative test can be effectively applied in primary healthcare settings, where patients typically seek their initial medical advice. An online calculator is already available, enabling doctors to quickly assess potential risks. According to the developers, this paves the way for early screening and prevention of cirrhosis and liver cancer, conditions that are often diagnosed too late and carry an unfavorable prognosis.
Furthermore, it was previously discovered that matcha green tea may protect the liver from damage caused by fatty and sugary foods.
