23rd March 2026

Early liver disease detection could be improved using routine blood test data in SAIL databank

This article originally featured on Health and Care Research Wales.

A new study using data from the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank, published in Hepatology Communications, has shown that a simple change in how routine blood tests are used could help diagnose liver disease much earlier. The findings could improve how health services identify liver problems before they become serious.

Chronic liver disease often develops slowly and without clear symptoms. Many people do not realise they have liver damage until the disease has progressed. Globally, chronic liver disease causes around two million deaths every year and can lead to serious complications, including liver failure.

Although liver function tests are already widely used in routine care, abnormal results are not always followed up in a consistent way. This means early warning signs can be missed.

The new study explores whether a more structured approach to interpreting routine liver blood tests could help identify liver disease sooner. Instead of relying solely on individual clinical judgement, the new pathway automatically flags certain results for follow‑on testing.

The main aim of the research was to assess whether this structured liver function test pathway increased diagnoses of chronic liver disease and cirrhosis compared with areas using standard practice.

To understand the impact, the research team analysed anonymised health records from the SAIL Databank which is funded by Health and Care Research Wales. This allowed them to track nearly 79,000 people diagnosed with liver disease between 2010 and 2023. By comparing regions where the new pathway was introduced with those that continued usual care, they were able to assess how diagnosis patterns changed over time.

Lead author Jingwei Gao, Research Officer and Data Scientist in Population Data Science at Swansea University, said the results showed a clear improvement. In one region, diagnoses of cirrhosis increased by 24%, while another saw a 16% rise. In one area, overall diagnoses of chronic liver disease also increased temporarily following the introduction of the new pathway.

These findings suggest that making better use of routine blood test results could help detect liver disease earlier, without the need for new tests or costly equipment. Earlier diagnosis can give people more time to make lifestyle changes, access monitoring, and start treatment before complications develop.

Researchers believe that wider adoption of this approach could help health services identify liver disease sooner and reduce the long-term impact of advanced liver damage on both patients and the NHS.

Dr Thomas Pembroke, Principal Investigator of the study, said: “Identifying liver disease earlier allows doctors to intervene before the condition progresses to life‑threatening liver failure, and supports more effective monitoring for liver cancer.”