What is cirrhosis?
Cirrhosis is the result of long-term, continuous damage to the liver and may be due to many different causes. The damage leads to scarring, known as fibrosis. At the same time, irregular bumps (nodules) replace the smooth liver tissue and the liver becomes harder. Together the scarring and the nodules are called cirrhosis.
Cirrhosis can take many years to develop, doing so without any noticeable symptoms, until the damage to the liver is very serious. Cirrhosis can lead to complete liver failure.
No one knows for sure how many people in the UK have cirrhosis as most people do not know they have it until the condition is serious. However, there is no doubt that the number of people with the condition continues to increase.
Every year around 3,000 to 4,000 people in the UK die from cirrhosis and about 700 people have to have a liver transplant to survive.
Cirrhosis can affect anyone – men and women, young and old. People most at risk of cirrhosis: