Fatty Liver: A Dangerous Silent Threat, UMI FK Lecturer Raises Public Awareness of the Dangers of Fatty Liver through early detection

The liver, a vital organ in our body, is now facing serious threats. Fatty liver orfatty liveris one of the main causes of chronic liver disease and death due to liver disease. This disease is increasingly common in Indonesia, including in South Sulawesi which has a high prevalence of type 2 diabetes.

This condition is very worrying because fatty liver often does not cause clear symptoms in the early stages. As a result, many sufferers only become aware of their condition when the disease is quite severe. In fact, early detection is very important to prevent serious complications such as liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. The increase in cases of type 2 diabetes and obesity in Indonesia has also made the situation worse, considering that these two conditions are the main risk factors for fatty liver.

2018 Riskesdas data shows that South Sulawesi is in the top 10 provinces with the most cases of type 2 diabetes in Indonesia. This is a strong signal that the risk of fatty liver in this area is also quite high. Unfortunately, public awareness about the dangers of fatty liver is still low. In fact, by adopting a healthy lifestyle such as adjusting your diet, exercising regularly, and maintaining an ideal body weight, we can prevent and control this disease.

Therefore, education about fatty liver is very important. The public needs to understand that this disease does not only attack adults, but can also occur in children and adolescents. By increasing awareness and knowledge about risk factors, symptoms and prevention of fatty liver, it is hoped that we can reduce the number of sufferers and prevent more serious complications from occurring.

Febie Irsandy, Sp. Rad as the team leader said "To prevent worse complications, early detection and education about fatty liver is very important. The public needs to be more aware of risk factors such as obesity, diabetes and unhealthy lifestyles. With early detection through abdominal ultrasound examination, appropriate treatment can be carried out immediately to prevent the development of the disease.

To detect fatty liver early, an abdominal ultrasound examination is highly recommended. Abdominal ultrasound is a non-invasive examination that can provide a clear picture of the condition of the liver. With early detection, treatment can be done earlier so as to prevent more serious complications. In this PKM activity, it is carried out in the form of:

1. Explanation and discussion about fatty liver disease, recognition of symptoms, proper examination and prevention.
2. Abdominal ultrasound examination as a form of initial screening.
3. Distribution of fatty liver brochures.