Concerns about fatty liver, such as "I was told that I was at risk of developing fatty liver because I failed the test," and "I want to know the symptoms of NAFLD/NASH and how to improve or prevent it." don't you have
Fatty liver is said to affect one in four Japanese people, and it causes various lifestyle-related diseases such as arteriosclerosis. Since the liver is said to be a "silent organ", symptoms are unlikely to appear, so caution is required.
In particular, it is difficult to improve once NASH occurs, so prevention, early detection, and early treatment are important.
In this article, we will introduce the symptoms, causes, prevention, and treatment of fatty liver and NAFLD/NASH.
I would appreciate it if you could confirm it so that you do not develop fatty liver, NAFLD/NASH.
In addition, since we have introduced the contents of fatty liver in the past, please refer to the following articles if you want to know more.
reference:[Supervised by a doctor] How to improve fatty liver?
table of contents
1. What is fatty liver
Fatty liver is a condition in which more than 30% of neutral fat accumulates in liver cells.
One in four Japanese people is said to have a fatty liver, so people with an unhealthy diet should be careful. There are two types of fatty liver:
- alcoholic hepatitis caused by alcohol
- "Non-alcoholic hepatitis (NAFLD)" whose cause is not alcohol or disease
１−1. alcoholic steatohepatitis
Alcoholic steatohepatitis is the accumulation of triglycerides and cholesterol in the liver caused by habitually drinking large amounts of alcohol.
Care must be taken because it causes various lifestyle-related diseases such as arteriosclerosis.
The cause of alcoholic steatohepatitis varies from person to person, so it is not always caused by excessive alcohol consumption. , it may occur with less alcohol in women.
There are no subjective symptoms, and "loss of appetite, malaise, and fever" may be seen, but they tend to be overlooked, so you have to be careful. As the disease progresses, the liver swells, causing right upper quadrant pain and jaundice, as well as dark brown urine, ascites, and edema.
Alcoholic hepatitis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis are explained in the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, so please also check.
１−2．non-alcoholicfatsexLiver disease (NAFLD: Knuffled)
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a liver disease that progresses from fatty liver to steatohepatitis/cirrhosis without alcohol intake.
NAFLD is closely related to lifestyle-related diseases and can be divided into the following two types.
- Non-progressive non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL)
- Progressive nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)
NAFL is a disease in which excess fat accumulates in the liver, but the disease rarely progresses and accounts for 80-90% of NAFLD.
However, the remaining 10% to 20% of NASH causes inflammation in the liver tissue, progressing to liver cirrhosis, developing liver cancer, or worsening, so caution should be exercised.
Below is information on NAFLD/NASH published by the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology guidelines.
２．need attentionnon-alcoholic fatty disease（NAFLD)ornon-alcoholicsexfatty hepatitis（NASH）symptoms of
NAFLD has almost no symptoms.
Because arteriosclerosis is caused, blood flow becomes poor, and it becomes difficult to supply oxygen and nutrients to the whole body. As a result, symptoms such as fatigue, stiff shoulders, and difficulty concentrating may occur.
If you have any doubts, please check your liver function by taking a blood test at a health checkup.
In addition, the following symptoms may appear, so let's refer to them together.
| ● AST/ALT, which is an estimate of liver disease, is slightly elevated (about 2-4 times) in NAFLD. Significant increase in NASH Platelet count decreases as hepatic fibrosis progresses ● Among liver fibrosis markers, hyaluronic acid and type IV collagen are high. |
Fatty liver has a high risk of progressing to NASH, angina pectoris and myocardial infarction, and is closely related to lifestyle-related diseases.
３．Nonalcoholic fatty disease (NAFLD)) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH）cause to become
NAFLD is said to be the "hepatic phenotype" of metabolic syndrome.
NASH is caused by lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Fatty liver develops from lifestyle-related diseases, and visceral fat secretes factors that cause inflammation, which is the mechanism that causes inflammation.
However, recent studies have shown that genetic predispositions such as insulin resistance and oxidative stress are involved in the development of NASH. If you have family members or relatives with NASH, you should be especially careful.
If abnormalities in liver function are pointed out, it is recommended to consider the possibility of NASH and see a doctor.
４．Nonalcoholic fatty disease (NAFLD)) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH）prevention and treatment of
NASH is difficult to cure, and the 15-year survival rate is around 60%.
As one of the preventive methods, daily care, early detection and early treatment are important. Let's review your lifestyle on a daily basis and be careful not to develop fatty liver.
４−1. NAFLD or NASHPreventive measures to avoid becoming
Since NAFLD and NASH are closely related to lifestyle-related diseases, they can be prevented by reviewing lifestyle habits.
- review of eating habits
Be careful not to overdose on sugar, as it can lead to fatty liver. In particular, fructose in fruits is well absorbed and converts into neutral fat in the liver, so caution is required.
- motion
Since fat is burned by muscle, let's do aerobic exercise such as walking and light weight training. You can increase your muscle mass and increase your basal metabolic rate.
- Confirmation of physique
A BMI of 25 or more and a waist circumference of 85 cm for men. For women, make sure your height is not over 90cm.
- test
Check your liver health regularly with blood tests and imaging tests.
４−2. NAFLD or NASHHow to treat after becoming
Treatment methods for NAFLD and NASH are preventive methods that focus on controlling metabolic syndrome and preventing progression of liver damage.
We carry out activities related to daily life, such as diet therapy and exercise therapy. If you are overweight, it is recommended that you aim for a standard body type. Aim to lose 7% of your body weight first.
If weight loss is inadequate, drug therapy should be aggressively administered. If left untreated, the risk of developing liver cirrhosis or developing liver cancer is high, so care must be taken.
Effective drugs include vitamin E, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. On the other hand, it is not clearly proven whether it can suppress the progression to liver cirrhosis and the development of liver cancer in the long term. When taking drug therapy, consult with your doctor before taking it.
The following is the content published by the Japan Liver Disease Control Support Group.
5. summary: NAFLD that requires attention in fatty liveror NASHis said to be effective in prevention by reviewing lifestyle habits
Fatty liver includes alcoholic hepatitis and non-alcoholic hepatitis (NAFLD).
There are almost no subjective symptoms, but as it progresses, upper right abdominal pain, jaundice, ascites, and edema are observed.
NAFLD includes non-progressive non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL). I have progressive nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
The main symptoms of NAFLD are as follows.
- Get tired easily
- Stiff shoulder
- poor concentration
Such
In addition, NAFLD may be complicated by angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, or progress to NASH. NASH is difficult to cure, and the 15-year survival rate is around 60%.
If you want to practice preventive methods that are considered effective, let's review your lifestyle habits, such as your daily diet and exercise.
In addition, since articles on how to improve fatty liver have been introduced in the past, please refer to the following articles if you are interested.
reference:[Supervised by a doctor] How to improve fatty liver?
Supervision: Dr. Yasushi Tsuda