10 Things you must know about Fatty liver

Liver 

You must be aware that the Liver is an essential organ of our body. It plays multiple life-supporting functions that includes :

• Bile production – that helps in carrying waste and breaking down fats in the small intestine during digestion
• Makes several proteins for the body 
• Storage of iron 
• Stores or metabolizes fat-soluble vitamins.
• Transform nutrients into energy
• Clearing the blood of drugs (drug metabolism)
• Creates substances that help in blood clotting (healing wounds).
• Provide immunity and help you resist infections by removing bacteria and toxins from the blood.

Now let’s get started with what are the 10 things that you must know about fatty liver diseases.

Fatty liver Diseases 

“Fatty Liver” is a common liver condition with excess fat deposition in liver cells that is not majorly due to alcohol consumption.

Usually, a healthy liver has a small amount of fat. However, if the fat build-up is more than 5 -10 % of the liver weight is a problem and may lead to swelling and liver damage. 

Is it dangerous for your health?

In most cases, Initial fatty liver usually does not harm or prevent the normal functioning of the Liver. But this may get worse over time if it is not diagnosed and managed early and can progress through the below three stages:

1. The Liver becomes inflamed (swollen), which causes tissue damage. Steatohepatitis is the medical term used for at this stage.
2. Formation of scar tissue (fibrosis) where the Liver is damaged.
3. Extensive scar tissue forms all over the Liver, replacing the healthy liver tissue. At this point, a person may have cirrhosis of the Liver. 

Cirrhosis of the Liver: It is the later stage of scar tissue formation, which causes the Liver’s functioning slow. Lastly, it can block liver function entirely and lead to liver cancer or liver/ hepatic failure.

Stage of fatty liver diseases

Ultimately, fatty Liver or liver damage can be classified into four stages/grades:

Most people will only ever develop the first stage of fatty Liver, usually without realizing it, as it has no specific signs and symptoms.

Types of fatty liver

Two main types of fatty liver disease:

1. Alcohol-induced fatty liver disease: It is caused due to heavy drinking (alcohol consumption). 
2. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) occurs in people who are non-alcoholic. This is the most common condition that causes fatty liver.

The exact cause of the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is not known, but several risk factors increase the chances of having NAFLD, such as :

• obesity, 
• diabetes or 
• a group of conditions that occur altogether, increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes (called metabolic syndrome) E.g., high blood pressure increases fat and abnormal cholesterol levels.

Note : 

• Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver (NAFL) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are the two forms of NAFLD.

1. In NAFL -there is fat in the Liver, but little to no inflammation or liver damage occurs. It typically does not progress to liver damage or complications. However, it can cause pain and discomfort from enlargement of the Liver.
2. NASH (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis) – A type of NAFLD that damages the Liver. It occurs due to fats deposited in the Liver, resulting in fibrosis, inflammation (hepatitis) and liver scarring. It’s a life-threatening condition as the Liver is scarred and permanently damaged. It can lead to (called cirrhosis) and liver cancer.

Symptoms of Fatty Liver

A person may have fatty Liver without any symptoms until the diseases progress to an advanced level. The following symptoms can be seen in such cases: 

• Abdominal pain and discomfort in the upper right side of the abdomen(belly) 
• Nausea
• Loss of appetite or weight loss
• Jaundice 
• Swollen abdomen and legs (oedema).
• Extreme weakness or mental confusion.
• Feeling sick

Risk factors of Fatty Liver (NAFLD)

The following conditions increase the risk of NAFLD/fatty liver:

• Overweight or obese
• Diabetes
• Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
• High blood pressure
• Increased cholesterol level
• Metabolic syndrome (a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity)
• Age of over 50 years
• Smoke

Note: Some people may get the fatty liver disease (NAFLD) including children without having any pre-existing conditions.

Is this disease too dangerous and can kill you?

Form the above information, you already have an idea that fatty liver disease usually doesn’t cause significant problems. But, in some cases, it may progress to severe liver problems like cirrhosis if not diagnosed and managed early. 

Untreated Liver cirrhosis ultimately results in liver failure or liver cancer. So, it is essential to keep track of your liver health routinely.

How to check if you have fatty liver disease?

Since fatty liver disease (NAFLD) usually has no symptoms, it can be found as an incidental finding (while finding for other condition and got something extra by the test). T

A blood test (Liver function test – LFT) done for other conditions may show a red flag sign for fatty Liver and other liver conditions, such as hepatitis. So, your doctor may be the first person to find it (so it is called incidental finding). However, blood tests do not always show fatty Liver. It may also get spotted in ultrasound scanning of the whole abdomen. 

If a person is diagnosed with NAFLD/fatty Liver, further tests may be required to determine the stage or grade of liver damage:

So, the doctor may suggest any of the following advanced tests:

• Computed tomography (CT scan) provides a clear picture of liver health.
• Liver biopsy (tissue sample) – In this test, a small sample of liver tissue is taken using a needle and is analyzed in a laboratory. It determines how far the advanced liver disease is progressed.
• Fibroscan – It is another type of ultrasound sometimes used to find out the amount of fat and scar tissue in the Liver.

What are the treatment options available for fatty liver disease?

As of now, there is no medication specifically for fatty liver disease. 

Instead, doctors aim to help you control the factors contributing to the condition. So, making healthy lifestyle choices can help.

Medicines are recommended for associated conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol) or complications.

You must seek medical help and regularly visit your doctor to check your liver function and look for any other signs of problems. 

In liver cirrhosis – a liver transplant is recommended by a doctor.

Can grade I fatty liver be reversed?

As you already know that the Liver can repair and regrow itself. If you focus on not to drink alcohol and maintain healthy weight, it’s possible to decrease liver fat and inflammation and reverse early liver damage.

How can you reverse fatty liver to healthy Liver?

Managing early liver damage can prevent and reverse the fatty liver. A healthy lifestyle is the main focus of managing NAFLD /fatty liver.

• Maintain weight – If you’re overweight or obese, lose weight gradually and try to stay at healthy weight. 
• Exercise regularly.
• Eat healthy foods – A Mediterranean diet is recommended by doctors for patients with fatty liver. These diets are high in fruits, vegetables, protein and carbohydrates but low in fat, sugar and salt. 
• Drink more water instead of sweet drinks
• Limit alcohol consumption – NAFLD is not caused by alcohol, but drinking may worsen it. So, cut down or stop drinking alcohol.
• Stop smoking – it helps to reduce your risk of other conditions such as heart attacks and stroke.
• Take medications as prescribed by your doctor– Your doctor may advise some medicines to control diabetes, cholesterol and triglycerides (fat in the blood). Never take any type of medicine on your own.