Local residents have the opportunity to take part in a groundbreaking study on a growing disease.

The University of Manitoba has partnered with the C.W Wiebe Health Centre to study the alarming condition of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The condition sees fat build up in the liver. The disease is called non-alcoholic fatty liver because of the resemblance the liver takes to one exposed to large amounts of alcohol, even if that hasn't been the case.

Dr. Cornelius Woelk is helping organize the local study. Surprisingly, he explains NAFLD cases have been increasing in both children and adults, and has become the most common liver disease in Canada. It's believed 25 percent of all Canadians may have NAFLD. However, health professionals believe diet and lifestyle changes may help decrease the risk or improve the condition.

He notes there are no external indicators that someone may have the disease, "not until the liver fails."

"We really want to pick this up ahead of time," he says. "We also want to know, what do we do to stop it from happening and limit its danger... liver specialists are seeing more and more of this."

The study aims to determine how common and severe the condition is in Manitoba. In total 2,000 people from five communities are expected to take part, with 1,000 participants from Winkler, Reinfeld, Schanzenfeld, Lowe Farm, Roland and Plum Coulee.

"We need a few thousand people screened to actually find enough people with liver changes showing risk," Woelk says.

All participants must be over the age of 18.

To learn more, call the C.W Wiebe Medical Centre at 204-325-4312 or email nafld@cwwiebemedical.ca.