New study reveals promising new way to find serious liver disease earlier

A study by Predictive Health Intelligence, co-founded by Tim Jobson and Neil Stevens, has revealed a promising new way to detect liver disease earlier using the Cumulative Liver Damage Index (CLDI). Unlike standard liver tests, CLDI analyzes long-term liver damage patterns using existing NHS blood test data through hepatoSIGHT, a partially NHS-owned technology. Liver disease is the UK’s fastest-growing cause of death, with rates rising over fourfold since the 1970s, often remaining undetected until advanced stages. The LiveWell study tested CLDI’s effectiveness by identifying high-risk participants from a single NHS site, recruiting 994 people in under a year. Results showed CLDI outperformed standard tests in detecting clinically significant liver disease. High-risk patients were directly referred for non-invasive liver scans by Tawazun Health and genetic profiling by Sano Genetics, simplifying the diagnostic process. Liver disease lacks a national screening program in the UK, with current methods often being costly, inefficient, or inaccurate. CLDI’s use of routine NHS data could enable earlier, targeted identification at scale, reducing unnecessary appointments and focusing resources on high-risk cases. Researchers emphasize this could improve patient outcomes by enabling intervention before severe damage occurs. Charlotte Guzzo, Chief Operating Officer of Sano Genetics, called the findings a ‘meaningful step forward,’ highlighting CLDI’s potential to transform early detection using existing data. Larry R. Holden, President and CEO of the Global Liver Institute, described the progress as ‘exactly the kind of advancement needed to combat chronic liver disease.’ hepatoSIGHT is expanding across the South West of England, with broader NHS rollout planned for 2027. A larger follow-up study involving 8,000 patients across multiple sites is underway to validate these results further.