LONDON “ 8 January 2013 “ Digital health publisher Streaming Well and the British Liver Trust today launch a video series to reduce deadly liver diseases through awareness of liver health.
In conjunction with the second Love Your Liver Campaign as part of Liver Awareness Month this January, the British Liver Trust is providing people with information videos on the potential harm they may be unknowingly doing to their livers through daily alcohol consumption and obesity.
In the UK, death from liver disease has increased by 25 per cent this past decade. Alcohol
related liver disease is responsible for a third of these cases. [1] The majority of these deaths have occurred in people under 70 years old according to a recent report by the NHS National End of Life Care Programme. More worryingly, the NHS also reported that ten per cent of these deaths have occurred in people in their 40s. [2] Andrew Langford, Chief Executive of the British Liver Trust, comments œYear on year we are seeing a significant increase in numbers of people with liver disease and consequent rise in the number of deaths from liver conditions. Unfortunately this is alongside a steady decrease in the average age of people dying, with the current average being 58yrs and it becoming more common to see 20 / 30 year olds with advanced liver disease on hospital wards.
Consultant hepatologist Dr. Mark Wright warns: œThe problem with the liver is that it suffers in silence. You don't get any symptoms from liver disease until you start presenting complications. At this stage there is less we can do. [3]
In response to this urgent need to educate the general public on liver health, Streaming Well have released a series of three online videos in association with British Liver Trust. Each video provides useful information on the harmful effects of alcohol on the liver, along with complications that can be caused through contracting viral hepatitis and developing a fatty liver. The series marks the first collaboration between British Liver Trust and Streaming Well.
With a steady increase in liver related deaths in the UK in recent years,[4] both organisations believe in the power of online video education. Through Streaming Well, this series will reach a wide audience and make them aware of the major preventable causes of liver damage and disease.
Francis Namouk, CEO and co-founder at Streaming Well adds œToday we have the ability to reach people with important information that can go viral within minutes. The internet is vital in spreading health messages to many people in a highly efficient and accessible manner. These videos are part of a campaign that is vital in limiting the amount of liver related deaths this country sees every year.
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Streaming Well is a digital health publisher reaching millions of patients and healthcare professionals across the UK, Europe and worldwide. They produce and publish evidence-based educational videos in multiple languages that educate patients and inform healthcare professionals.
British Liver Trust is the leading UK liver charity dealing with adult liver conditions. They work to pioneer liver health and reduce the impact of liver disease through awareness, care and research.
