Liver with high fat content can pose a significant health risk. Learn about the stages, potential complications, associated risks, and available treatments.
Fatty liver disease, a condition where excess fat accumulates in the liver, can affect anyone, even those without known risk factors. This disease can manifest in two main forms: nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD).
NAFLD is often associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance, high consumption of carbohydrates, meat, and soft drinks, as well as high cholesterol or triglyceride levels. The most severe form of NAFLD is nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), characterized by inflammation of liver cells and scarring.
The progression from NAFLD to NASH and ultimately cirrhosis significantly worsens the prognosis and reduces life expectancy. While early-stage NAFLD often causes minimal problems, advancement to NASH and then cirrhosis increases the risk of severe liver complications and mortality.
Cirrhosis is a condition that affects the liver where damage to this organ causes scar tissue to replace healthy liver tissue. At this stage, life expectancy is substantially reduced due to risks of liver failure, liver cancer, and complications like portal hypertension. Patients require specialist care and may need a liver transplant in severe cases.
However, it's important to note that cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in people with NAFLD/NASH, even in cases with advanced liver scarring like cirrhosis. The metabolic dysfunction underlying NAFLD/NASH (including obesity, type 2 diabetes, high triglycerides, and hypertension) is strongly linked to higher cardiovascular risk, which often surpasses the risk from liver-related causes.
Early diagnosis and managing metabolic syndrome components are crucial to slowing progression and improving outcomes. Steps to manage diabetes, reduce high cholesterol levels, avoid alcohol, and maintain a balanced diet and regular exercise are essential. In severe cases, a doctor may recommend additional treatments to address complications such as cirrhosis, which may include medications, minor procedures, surgery, or liver replacement.
Most people with fatty liver disease show no signs, but they may experience fatigue or discomfort in the upper right abdomen. It's important to contact a doctor as soon as there are concerns about fatty liver disease to begin treatment early and reduce the risk of complications. Fatty liver disease can increase a person's risk of developing scarring of the liver and cancer.
With dietary changes and exercise, a person can help the liver heal and potentially reverse fatty liver disease. It's a reminder that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is key to overall health and longevity.
- Maintaining a balanced diet and regular exercise are essential for managing fatty liver disease, a condition where excess fat accumulates in the liver.
- The most severe form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), characterized by inflammation of liver cells and scarring.
- Managing high cholesterol levels, avoiding alcohol, and reductions in high consumption of carbohydrates, meat, and soft drinks can help control NAFLD.
- Inflammation of liver cells, scarring, and cirrhosis, a condition where damage to the liver causes scar tissue to replace healthy liver tissue, significantly worsens the prognosis and reduces life expectancy.
- The metabolic dysfunction underlying NAFLD/NASH (including obesity, type 2 diabetes, high triglycerides, and hypertension) is strongly linked to higher cardiovascular risk, which often surpasses the risk from liver-related causes.
- Patients with advanced liver scarring like cirrhosis require specialist care and may need a liver transplant in severe cases, although cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death.
- Early diagnosis and addressing the components of metabolic syndrome, such as diabetes and high cholesterol, can slow the progression and improve outcomes for individuals with fatty liver disease.
- A healthy lifestyle, including fitness and exercise, nutritious skin-care, mental-health management, and weight-management, is crucial for overall health and wellness, reducing the risk of chronic-diseases and their complications, such as chronic-kidney-disease and various therapies-and-treatments.
