TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — More than 50% of Taiwan residents aged 40 or over have fatty liver disease (FLD), a free large-scale abdominal ultrasonography event on Sunday (July 24) revealed.

Conducted by the Liver Disease Prevention and Treatment Research Foundation, the mass examinations took place at 16 medical institutes in 15 cities and counties concurrently.

A total of 1,833, or 57% of 3,205 participants were found to have hepatic steatosis, the excess buildup of fat in the liver. Liver tumors were identified in 82 participants, while six had cirrhosis, wrote UDN.

In particular, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch said 72% of the enrolled had FLD, higher than the average seen at other hospitals. This may be attributed to the fact that only those with a BMI over 27, considered overweight or obese, were allowed to take part in the checkup.

The fat liver condition has emerged as a new underlying health concern for Taiwan, cautioned Yang Pei-ming (楊培銘), who urged the public to exercise more and go on a diet to prevent it from worsening. People should also control the intake of sugar in foods, drinks, and fruits, he added.

According to the National Health Research Institute, FLD, diabetes, and high triglyceride levels are three major risk factors that could result in liver cancer in patients not caused by a viral infection in the organ.