People who drink too much alcohol should be screened for liver disease, according to draft UK guidelines published last night.
The proposal could mean the NHS having to increase the level of facilities for scanning for liver disease.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence says one of the two kinds of scan it wants performed is not widely available.
The guidance applies to women who drink, on average, more than half a bottle of wine a day – 35 units of alcohol a week – and to men who drink the equivalent of more than three pints of beer a day – 50 units a week.
The guidance says that people with diagnosed cirrhosis should receive ultrasound scans very six months to check for cancer.
A hepatologist who helped draw up the guidelines, Dr Andrew Fowell, of 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.”
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