Fatty liver disease: What it is and what to do about it

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition of extra fat buildup in the liver, is on the rise — it now affects roughly 20% to 40% of the US population. It usually doesn’t cause any symptoms, and is often first detected by accident when an imaging study (such as an abdominal ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI) is requested for another reason. A fatty liver may also be identified on an imaging test as a part of investigating abnormal liver blood tests. NAFLD is intimately related to conditions like diabetes and obesity. It’s also linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Understanding NAFLD and its causes, consequences, and treatment options is still a work in progress. The many faces of fatty liver disease There are lots of medical terms related to fatty liver disease, and it can get confusing. The main medical umbrella term NAFLD refers to a fatty liver that is not related to alcohol use. NAFLD is further divided into two groups: Non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL), otherwise known as simple fatty liver, or Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) Why the type of fatty liver disease matters Distinguishing between simple fatty liver and NASH is important. Why? Because for most people, having simple fatty liver doesn’t cause sickness related to the liver, whereas those with NASH have inflammation and injury to their liver cells. This increases the risk of progression to more serious conditions like fibrosis (scarring) of the liver, cirrhosis, and liver cance...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Digestive Disorders Health Source Type: blogs