Fatty Liver
Fatty Liver Treatment
What Is Fatty Liver Disease?
Fatty liver disease (FLD) means you have extra fat in your liver. You might hear your doctor call it hepatic steatosis. Most of the time, it doesn’t cause symptoms, but over time a buildup of fat makes it harder for your liver to work.
Fatty Liver Disease Treatment:
There are two main types of FLD:
- Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)
This type used to be called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It is very common in the U.S., affecting 1 in 3 adults. Researchers aren’t exactly sure what causes it, but having obesity or diabetes will increase your risk of getting it. Unlike the other main type, you don’t get it from drinking alcohol. There are two forms of MASLD:
Simple fatty liver: This means you have fat in your liver, but you may not have any inflammation in your liver or damage to your liver cells. It usually doesn’t get worse or cause problems with your liver. Most people with MASLD have a simple fatty liver.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH): This used to be known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). It’s the advanced stage of FLD and means you have inflammation in your liver. The inflammation and liver cell damage that happen with MASH can cause serious problems such as fibrosis and cirrhosis, which are types of liver scarring, and liver cancer. These problems can lead to liver failure and require a liver transplant. About 20% of people with MASLD have MASH.
Fatty Liver Disease Symptoms
With ALD and MASLD, there are usually no symptoms. Some people may have signs such as tiredness or pain in the upper right side of the belly where your liver is.
If you have MASH or get cirrhosis, you may have symptoms such as:
- Swollen belly
- Enlarged blood vessels underneath your skin
- Larger-than-normal breasts in men
- Red palms
- Skin and eyes that appear yellowish, due to a condition called jaundice
- Nausea, weight loss, or loss of appetite
- Tiredness or mental confusion
Fatty Liver Disease Treatment:
For ALD, the cause is too much alcohol. You may be even more likely to get it if you drink a lot and
- Have obesity
- Are malnourished
- Have chronic viral hepatitis, especially hepatitis C
- Are Black or Hispanic and male or assigned male at birth
- Are female or assigned female at birth, because of the way the bodies of these individuals process alcohol
- Are older – the older you are, the more likely it becomes
There are also some less common reasons why you may get MASLD or MASH. They include:
- Medical conditions that affect how your body uses or stores fat
- Hepatitis C or other infections
- Fast weight loss
- Taking certain medicines such as glucocorticoids, methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall), synthetic estrogen, tamoxifen (Nolvadex, Soltamox), and others
- Gallbladder removal. Some people who have surgery to remove their gallbladder are more likely to have MASLD.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease Treatment:
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, often called NAFLD, is a liver problem that affects people who drink little to no alcohol. In NAFLD, too much fat builds up in the liver. It is seen most often in people who are overweight or obese.
NAFLD is becoming more common, especially in Middle Eastern and Western nations as the number of people with obesity rises. It is the most common form of liver disease in the world. NAFLD ranges in severity from hepatic steatosis, called fatty liver, to a more severe form of disease called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
NASH causes the liver to swell and become damaged due to the fat deposits in the liver. NASH may get worse and may lead to serious liver scarring, called cirrhosis, and even liver cancer. This damage is like the damage caused by heavy alcohol use.
A move is currently underway to change the name nonalcoholic fatty liver disease to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Experts also have recommended changing the name nonalcoholic steatohepatitis to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).
Nonalcoholic fatty liver Symptoms:
NAFLD often has no symptoms. When it does, they may include:
- Fatigue.
- Not feeling well, or malaise.
- Pain or discomfort in the upper right belly area.
Possible symptoms of NASH and cirrhosis, or severe scarring, include:
- Itchy skin.
- Abdominal swelling, also called ascites (uh-SY-teez).
- Shortness of breath.
- Swelling of the legs.
- Spider-like blood vessels just beneath the skin’s surface.
- Enlarged spleen.
- Red palms.
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes, or jaundice.
When to see a doctor
Make an appointment with a member of your health care team if you have lasting symptoms that worry you.
FAQ?
Often asymptomatic, but may include fatigue, discomfort in the upper right abdomen, and enlarged liver.
Diagnosis is usually made through blood tests, imaging studies (like ultrasound or CT scan), and sometimes a liver biopsy.
Treatment focuses on addressing the underlying cause, such as weight loss, improved diet, exercise, managing diabetes and cholesterol levels, and abstaining from alcohol.