Q: My father is 56 years old and has swollen legs for the last three weeks. His blood pressure is 157/82 mmHg. Doctors are doing tests for his liver. What is the association between swollen legs and the liver?

A:Swelling of the legs can happen in a variety of disorders, viz., heart failure, malnutrition, venous thrombosis of the leg and also in liver disorders. In conditions causing liver malfunction, liver becomes unable to handle protein metabolism adequately. This leads to low albumin in the blood, which in turn lowers the hydrostatic pressure in the blood vessels and consequently the fluid escapes to the tissues causing swelling in the dependant parts of the body, mostly ankles and legs. Take your physician’s advice.