The liver is the largest organ in the body and is responsible for regulating blood chemical levels, helping to digest food, store energy, and eliminate toxins. One of the most common liver diseases is “fatty liver,” which consists of accumulating fat. Because it does not cause symptoms, its diagnosis is often late and leads to complications such as cirrhosis.
When the organ becomes inflamed by fatty liver disease, it is called “steatohepatitis” and can lead to scarring called “fibrosis.” This consequence often progresses to cirrhosis, which is scarring that distorts the structure of the liver and impairs its function, reads the MSD Medical Manual.
There are two types of this pathology: alcoholic fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The first is caused by high alcohol consumption because the organ breaks down most of the alcohol so that it can be eliminated from the body, but the decomposition process generates substances that damage liver cells, causing inflammation and weakening the body’s defenses.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is characterized by excess fat stored in liver cells. It is divided into simple fatty liver disease, which is when there is little or no inflammation in the liver cells and they have not yet caused damage; and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which is when there is already inflammation, damage, and fat in the liver, which can cause fibrosis.
What causes fatty liver?
The causes of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease have not been determined, nor is it clear why some fatty livers develop inflammation that progresses to cirrhosis.
According to Mynor Aguilar, gastroenterologist, the risk factors for this disease are overweight and obesity, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and triglycerides, high blood pressure, very rapid weight loss, infections such as hepatitis C and exposure to some toxins, among others.
Symptoms and consequences of fatty liver
Fatty liver usually does not cause symptoms. But in some people, it causes fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, yellowing of the skin, or abdominal pain. Internist Eduardo López recommends visiting a specialist if you have any of these ailments, also if you drink alcohol constantly, or if you have sudden weight gain or loss.
To determine whether you have a fatty liver, doctors make a diagnosis based on blood tests, imaging studies such as ultrasound, and sometimes a liver biopsy.
Among the main complications of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Cirrhosis occurs when scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue. As the disease progresses, symptoms may include itchy skin, bleeding, memory problems or confusion, swelling in the feet or lower legs, and jaundice, which is a yellowish color of the skin and eyes.
Treatment and prevention
“For non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, it is recommended to lose weight, which can reduce fat, inflammation, and fibrosis in the liver. So far, there are no medications that have been approved to treat this disease,” says Aguilar.
One of the best ways to prevent fatty liver is to maintain a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, this will also help you maintain a healthy weight. In addition, regular exercise is recommended.