VIJAYAWADA: These days, sedentary lifestyle combined with irregular food habits, makes people more prone to liver diseases. According to gastroenterologists, fatty liver or hepatic steatosis is the buildup of fat in the liver. It’s normal to have some fat in your liver, but too much can pose to be a health hazard.
The liver is the second largest organ in the body. Its function is to process everything we eat or drink and filter harmful substances from the blood. The process is interrupted if the liver contains too much fat. When fat accounts for more than 5 to 10 per cent of your liver’s weight, the condition is termed as fatty liver. It’s also one of the causes of liver cancer. It may also occur due to metabolic problems such as diabetes, obesity or viral infections such as Hepatitis B and C.
Fatty liver is a reversible condition that can often be resolved with lifestyle modifications. In many cases, fatty liver has no symptoms.It doesn’t usually cause permanent damage unless the fat is left to accumulate in the liver. It can become harmful if its underlying cause is not recognized and treated.
“About 30 per cent of the population may have a fatty liver. But the incidence of fatty liver can be found in about 10 per cent of this 30 per cent,” said K Veerabhadra Rao, a gastroenterologist at a private hospital.
Many patients and practitioners view fat in the liver as just ‘fat in the liver,’ but we believe that a diagnosis of fatty liver could raise an alarm for impending Type 2 diabetes, he added.
“Fatty liver is the most common finding when you ask for an ultrasound of the abdomen in anyone above 40 years. People who are obese, diabetic, hypertensive, or have had a history of jaundice are more prone to fatty liver. While alcohol consumption can compromise the liver, it is also common to find fatty livers among nonalcoholics,” said N Tirumala Rao, a consultant gastroenterologist.
“We test patients who come with fatty liver for other metabolic disorders including diabetes and start treating them for those conditions. Food habits and excessive consumption of fatty foods, lack of exercise, untimely meals and high-stress levels are the causes. Among patients who follow a diet and an exercise chart, the fat deposits actually disappear in the re-evaluation done after three months,” Rao explained.
Types of Fatty liver
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Alcoholic fatty liver
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and alcoholic steatohepatitis.
Acute fatty liver during pregnancy
Causes
Obesity
Hyperlipidemia, or high levels of fats in the blood
Diabetes
Genetic inheritance
Rapid weight loss
Side effect of certain medications, including aspirin, steroids, tamoxifen (Nolvadex), and tetracycline (Panmycin)
Symptoms
Poor Appetite
Weight loss
Abdominal pain
Fatigue
Diagnosis
Blood Test
Liver biopsy
Ultrasound
Treatment
Limiting or avoiding alcoholic beverages
Managing your cholesterol levels
Reducing your sugar intake, saturated fatty acids
Losing weight
Controlling your blood sugar