TEHRAN — Iran is among the top 10 countries in the world in liver transplantation and ranks first in the region, said Reza Malekzadeh, the deputy health minister for research and technology. 

Annually, there are at least 500 liver transplantations in the country, indicating a major development in the health sector, Malekzadeh told IRNA on Saturday.

In addition to Shiraz as its main center, he said, liver transplant is also conducted in Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Hospital and five other provinces.

Around 85% of liver transplants in the country are from brain dead patients, but living-donor transplantation is now happening in Shiraz, he said. 

In this method, family members can donate a portion of their healthy liver and after transplantation, the partial livers of both the donor and recipient will regain their initial functions.

The deputy health minister announced that around 30% of Iranians have fatty livers, making it the most prevalent liver disease in the country.

Overweightness and obesity could be the reasons of fatty liver among Iranians, he said, as their food intake is 30% more than body's requirements. 

Genetics, excessive food intake and lack of physical activity all could lead to fatty liver, said Malekzadeh, noting that 80% of people don’t have enough physical activities.

SJ/MQ/MG