Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment and More
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease is a condition where the liver collects excess fat. Read on to understand the causes, symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.
Deeksha Dixit7 Feb, 2024
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Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease is popularly abbreviated as NAFLD. It is a condition where there is an abnormal accumulation of fat in the liver. Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease affects individuals with minimal or no alcohol consumption. A person affected with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease is generally obese or overweight.
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is silently becoming common affecting a lot of people worldwide primarily due to a rise in obesity. NAFLD is one of the important sub-topics in pathology a core subject for medical entrance exams like NEET PG .Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
NAFLD is a type of Fatty liver disease which means that affected individual has fat inside their liver. This accumulated fat can affect the functioning of the liver or can even lead to injury over time. Unlike regular alcoholics people have fat in the liver, the situation is different in the case of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in which there is just fat but no damage to the liver. However, when there is fat plus signs of inflammation and liver cell damage then this condition is known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NASH can severely affect some NAFLD patients causing damage, liver swelling, and even cancer at a serious stage. This is why NAFLD has drawn the interest of medical professionals.What Causes Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease?
Understanding the causes of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease is not just important from an exam perspective but also from a medical research perspective. There is uncertainty over what precisely causes NAFLD in certain patients and not in others. Even the exact cause of NASH remains unknown. However, the following factors are found to be related to NAFLD:- Obesity
- Heredity
- Hyperglycemia
- High Blood Fat Level (particularly triglycerides)
- When cells don't take up sugar in response to the hormone insulin leading to insulin resistance
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Symptoms
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease is sometimes referred to as silent liver disease as it can affect without showing any major symptoms. In certain cases, the following symptoms have been observed in patients having NAFLD:- Fatigue or Severe tiredness
- Feeling sick and weakness
- Abdominal pain/Discomfort in the Upper right part of the body
- Skin Inflammation
- Abdominal Swelling
- Difficulty in Breathing
- Leg Swelling
- Jaundice
- An Enlarged Spleen
- Palms turning Red
- Muscle Wasting
- Spiderlike blood vessels on the patient’s skin
Who is At Risk of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
The risk factors of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease are exactly unknown but it has been observed that certain existing diseases can be potential causes. Below are some of the diseases/disorders that may be the risk factors of NAFLD:- History of obesity in the family
- Deficiency related to Growth Hormone
- Increased level of Cholesterol
- High Blood Triglyceride Level
- Condition of Insulin Resistance
- Condition of Overweight Particularly Around the Waist
- Diabetes/Prediabetes
- Hypothyroidism
- Metabolic syndrome
- Hypopituitarism i.e. low pituitary gland activity
How To Diagnosis Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease?
For medical graduates understanding diagnosis of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease is more important. Since the symptoms of NAFLD are relatively uncertain it is typically diagnosed when medical practitioners notice abnormal test results of a liver problem. For example, if liver enzyme levels are found to be increased in a routine medical test then further testing and NAFLD diagnosis may follow. The following tests are used to evaluate liver damage and Diagnosis of NAFLD:- Total Blood Count Test
- Test for the quantity of iron in blood and other cells
- Viral hepatitis (including hepatitis A and C) Test to rule out chronic hepatitis
- Liver Enzymes Evaluation
- Measuring blood sugar levels
- Lipid Profile
- Celiac disease screening test
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanning or CT scan for identifying mild liver fibrosis.
- Transient Elastography (TE) to measure the stiffness of the liver.
- MRI elastography for identifying the rigidity of body tissues.
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Treatment
For people having Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease without serious medical problems, simple treatment may help. Lifestyle changes are usually recommended to treat NAFLD starting with losing weight. Here are some methods to achieve the same:- Lowering cholesterol and triglycerides
- Having Balanced Diet
- Exercise
- Controlling Diabetes
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease FAQs
What is Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)?
NAFLD is a liver condition characterized by the abnormal accumulation of fat within the liver, primarily affecting individuals with minimal or no alcohol consumption.
What is nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)?
When inflammation and liver cell damage occur along with fat accumulation in NAFLD, it is termed nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
What are some common symptoms of NAFLD?
NAFLD does not show separate symptoms but fatigue, weakness, abdominal discomfort, and, in severe cases, symptoms like skin inflammation, and jaundice have been observed.
What are some common methods to diagnose NAFLD?
NAFLD can be diagnosed when abnormal symptoms are observed in routine liver tests. After ruling out other diseases, tests like total blood count tests and imaging studies are used to assess liver damage. In complex cases, a liver biopsy may be recommended.
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