What is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease? Manifestations and prevention

In the period from 2000 onwards, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease began to receive more attention. The disease often has no obvious symptoms in its early stages, but poses the risk of serious health impairment in otherwise healthy people. Let’s learn more about the symptoms and prevention of this disease with Tnhelearning.edu.vn!

What is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease?

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is also known as Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). This term describes the accumulation of fat in the liver in people who consume little or no alcohol.

In the disease, the amount of fat usually makes up 5-10% of the weight of the liver and can progress to hepatitis, cirrhosis or liver cancer. At the same time, this disease also increases the risk of other serious diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, etc.

What is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease?

Causes of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

In the medical community in general, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease has not yet identified a clear cause. Some typical health conditions that lead to NAFLD include:

• Overweight, obesity
• High blood sugar, diabetes or type 2 diabetes
• Insulin resistance, especially hypertriglyceridemia
• People with metabolic disorders
• Women with polycystic ovary syndrome
• People with sleep apnea
• People with hypothyroidism, hypopituitarism

Causes of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Manifestations of non-alcoholic fatty liver

According to research by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Hong Van – Former Head of Gastroenterology Department at Bach Mai Hospital, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease usually does not cause obvious symptoms in the early stages. About 20% of people with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis have an increased risk of progression to cirrhosis or NASH (bone necrosis). The disease may notice a number of symptoms such as:

• Enlarged liver, pain in the right abdomen
• Fatigue, weakness
• Sudden weight loss
• Ascites (ascites)
• Vasodilation under the skin
• Yellow skin, yellow eyes
• Red palm
• Memory loss, personality change
• Swelling in the legs, feet, ankles, big breasts in men

Manifestations of non-alcoholic fatty liver

Subjects prone to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is about 25% of the world population. Because this disease comes mainly from people who are overweight, obese, people with abdominal obesity or metabolic disorders. People between the ages of 40 and 50 are most susceptible to this disease.

Subjects prone to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

In addition, about one-third to two-thirds of patients with type 2 diabetes have a 2-way correlation with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Women with hormonal problems such as hypothyroidism, hypopituitarism, … or polycystic ovary syndrome are also at high risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

How to treat non-alcoholic fatty liver

Currently, there is no specific treatment for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. However, researchers have conducted a review of a few natural compounds to better support the treatment of this disease. Vitamin E and vitamin C are considered antioxidants that help inhibit the development of fatty liver degeneration.

For more aggressive treatment, you need to have tests done to make a more accurate diagnosis, as well as determine the severity of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. You need:

• Blood tests
• General abdominal ultrasound
• Non-invasive laboratory testing
• Liver biopsy

How to treat non-alcoholic fatty liver

Patients are recommended to reduce the amount of calories in the diet, increase vegetables, fruits, and replace saturated fat with unsaturated fats found in fish, olive oil, nuts. You should try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week.

For people who are in advanced stages of cirrhosis, where the liver is no longer able to function, a liver transplant will be the only treatment option for the patient.

How to prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver

The best control for people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is to adjust to a healthy diet and reasonable exercise. Losing 10% of your body weight will help remove fat from the liver. Then you can prevent dangerous complications of this disease.

Plan to exercise at least 30 minutes/day

You should limit fatty foods, fast foods, high fructose foods and drinks, cholesterol-rich foods, alcohol, and stimulants. If you are new to regular exercise, you should consult your doctor and start from the simplest exercises.

Limit unhealthy foods

For people with diabetes, it’s important to follow your doctor’s orders and closely monitor your blood sugar. You should have regular health checkups 1-2 times a year to detect diseases and treat them early. Protect your liver by not drinking alcohol and avoiding drugs that are toxic to the liver.

Above is useful information about non-alcoholic fatty liver disease that Tnhelearning.edu.vn wants to share with you. Please refer to and adjust the appropriate lifestyle to prevent this disease!

Source: Health & Life Newspaper, Tam Anh Hospital

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