Patients who suffer from a condition known as 'fatty liver' - an abnormal build-up of fat in the liver - are more likely to develop bowel cancer, one of the most common cancers in Hong Kong, a study has revealed.
The results were uncovered after 380 people aged between 40 and 70 - comprising both non-alcohol induced fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients and healthy volunteers - underwent colonoscopy screening.
One in four Hongkongers suffered from NAFLD, said the university.
Experts at the Centre for Liver Health at Chinese University of Hong Kong, which carried out the study, said its findings highlighted the need for more colonoscopy screenings - the only way to detect the problem.
The study took into account characteristics like gender, smoking habits, family history, body mass index, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Results showed NAFLD patients had three times more chance of getting advanced polyps than healthy individuals. They were also 1.7 times more prone to polyps on the right-side of the colon, where the damage moves faster.
Of the patients involved in the study who received a liver biopsy test, the active fatty liver cases showed a two-and-a-half times higher chance of developing advanced polyps than the inactive cases.