AI tool developed by Hyderabad hospital brings down fatty liver screening cost from ₹5,000 to ₹500
The innovation, developed in collaboration with the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, uses four widely available blood parameters, complete blood count, liver function test, HbA1c, and lipid profile combined with BMI and waist circumference data. The tool is designed to predict both steatosis (fat accumulation) and fibrosis (hardening of the liver), traditionally detected using expensive machines like FibroScan, which costs over ₹1.2 crore.
'This model brings down the cost of screening from ₹4,000 to 5,000 per scan to just ₹500. We have validated it on over 10,000 patients internally, and it is now being rolled out in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh at community level,' said Dr. Rakesh Kalapala, Director of Endoscopy at the Centre for Obesity and Metabolic Therapy.
This was announced during an awareness session held at the hospital on Wednesday, ahead of Global Fatty Liver Day, which is observed annually on the second Thursday of June.
'Earlier, it was seen as a benign condition. Now we know it is the epicentre of all cardiometabolic disorders. It worsens diabetes, increases heart disease risk, and even leads to liver cancer. What we are seeing is a silent epidemic,' said Dr. D. Nageshwar Reddy, Chairman, AIG.
'Fatty liver is like a red flag for what is going on in the rest of the body. Many patients with fatty liver actually die of heart attacks, not liver failure,' said Dr. Anuj Kapadia, a cardiologist.
Dr. Merugu Chandhana, an endocrinologist, said nearly 70% of her diabetic patients have fatty liver, with many having Grade 2 or 3 disease detected on ultrasound. 'Earlier we thought of them as separate diseases. Now we know they are deeply connected,' she said.
Despite ongoing research, no drug has yet been approved in India specifically for fatty liver disease, the doctors cautioned. The only proven treatment is lifestyle modification. '5% weight loss reduces liver fat, 7% reduces liver inflammation and 10% can reverse liver fibrosis,' the doctors said.
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