Facts about Fatty Liver
Understanding the Leading Cause of Abnormal Liver-Function Tests
Oct 9, 2008
The liver cleanses the blood stream by removing dead and unhealthy cells, microorganisms and other toxins. But if the liver is clogged with fatty deposits, these substances will not be efficiently filtered and the immune system can become overburdened.
As implied by its name, a fatty liver contains excess fat. It is often enlarged with a yellow, greasy appearance.
The disorder falls under the medical classification of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease or NAFLD. This umbrella grouping covers a spectrum of conditions ranging from simple fatty liver, which is considered relatively benign, to the more serious Nonalcoholic Steatotic Hepatitis or NASH, which can lead to inflammation and permanent scarring of the liver.
Symptoms and Related Conditions
Symptoms of fatty liver are often vague and non-specific in early stages of the disease. These symptoms may include fatigue, abdominal bloating and discomfort or pain over the liver, which is in the right upper abdomen. The best advice is to have your liver function checked annually with a simple blood test.
Many individuals with Fatty Liver Disease have a metabolic disorder involving abnormally high levels of the hormone insulin. Produced by the pancreas, insulin acts to put blood sugar (glucose) into cells where it is used for energy. But in people with this disorder these cells become resistant to insulin. This causes the pancreas to increase its production of insulin.
Besides promoting weight gain, high insulin levels are often associated with unstable or high blood-sugar levels. In addition, patients with this metabolic disorder frequently have abnormal blood-fat levels. They also may have elevated levels of uric acid, as well a heightened risk of heart disease.
Fast Food, Obesity and Other Risk Factors
Fatty liver is common in societies where fast food and refined food is readily available. Though it can affect people of all ages, women age 40 and older and men with sedentary occupations face the greatest risk. Specific risk-factors include obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol levels.
If physicians suspect a patient has NAFLD, they may order a liver-function test and an ultrasound, CT or MRI scan. Although these tests are useful, a liver biopsy is the only way to definitively diagnose this disease.
Treatment
Several medical therapies for fatty liver are under investigation, but so far none has proven to be effective. The best existing treatments involve adopting a healthy diet, losing weight, exercising, controlling cholesterol and diabetes and avoiding toxic substances.
