Have you ever been worried about fatty liver? For example, "I failed a test and was told I'm at risk of developing fatty liver," or "I want to know the symptoms of NAFLD/NASH and how to improve and prevent it."
Fatty liver is said to affect one in four Japanese people, and can lead to various lifestyle-related diseases such as arteriosclerosis. The liver is known as a "silent organ," so symptoms are difficult to detect, so caution is required
Once NASH has developed, it is difficult to improve the condition, so prevention, early detection, and early treatment are important
This time, we will introduce the symptoms, causes, prevention, and treatment of fatty liver, NAFLD, and NASH
We hope you will check this out to prevent fatty liver and NAFLD/NASH
We have also covered fatty liver in the past, so if you would like to know more, please refer to the following article
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 liver cells are made up of triglycerides
It is said that one in four Japanese people suffer from fatty liver, so those with an unhealthy diet should be careful. There are the following types of fatty liver:
- Alcohol-related "alcoholic hepatitis"
- Non-alcoholic hepatitis (NAFLD) is a condition caused by factors other than alcohol or other illnesses
１−1. Alcoholic steatohepatitis
Alcoholic fatty liver disease is a condition in which triglycerides and cholesterol accumulate in the liver due to habitual heavy alcohol consumption
Caution is required as it can cause various lifestyle-related diseases such as arteriosclerosis
The causes of alcoholic steatohepatitis vary from person to person, so it is not necessarily caused by large amounts of alcohol consumption. Women may develop the disease with even smaller amounts of alcohol
There are no subjective symptoms, and symptoms such as loss of appetite, fatigue, and fever may occur, but it tends to go unnoticed, so care must be taken. As the disease progresses, the liver becomes swollen, right upper abdominal pain and jaundice appear, as well as dark brown urine, ascites, and edema
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare also provides explanations about alcoholic hepatitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver hepatitis, so please check that out as well
１−2．Non-alcoholicfatsexLiver disease (NAFLD): Knaffled)
Liver disease that progresses from fatty liver to steatohepatitis and cirrhosis even in the absence of alcohol consumption is called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
NAFLD is closely related to lifestyle-related diseases and is divided into the following two types:
- Non-progressive non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFL)
- Progressive nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)
NAFL is a disease in which excess fat accumulates in the liver, but this type of disease rarely progresses and accounts for 80-90% of NAFLD cases
However, in the remaining 10% to 20% of cases of NASH, inflammation of the liver tissue can progress to cirrhosis or liver cancer, so caution is advised
Below is information regarding NAFLD/NASH published by the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology guidelines
２．Needs attentionNonalcoholic fatty liver disease（NAFLD)orNon-alcoholicsexsteatohepatitis（NASH）Symptoms of
NAFLD has almost no noticeable symptoms
It causes arteriosclerosis, which reduces blood flow and makes it difficult for oxygen and nutrients to be supplied to the entire body. This can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, stiff shoulders, and decreased concentration
If you think this may be the case, have a blood test during a health checkup to check your liver function
In addition, the following symptoms may also appear, so please take note of them as well
| ● AST/ALT, which predicts liver disease, is slightly elevated (about 2-4 times) in NAFLD Platelet counts increase significantly in NASH. Platelet counts decrease as liver fibrosis progresses ● Liver fibrosis markers include high levels of hyaluronic acid and type IV collagen |
Fatty liver has a high risk of progressing to NASH and becoming complicated with angina pectoris and myocardial infarction, and is closely related to lifestyle-related diseases
３．Nonalcoholic Fatty Acid Disease (NAFLD)) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)）Causes of becoming
NAFLD is said to be the "hepatic phenotype" of metabolic syndrome
NASH is caused by lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and dyslipidemia. Fatty liver develops due to lifestyle-related diseases, and visceral fat secretes inflammatory factors, which then trigger inflammation
However, recent research has shown that the onset of NASH is related to genetic predispositions such as insulin resistance and oxidative stress. If you have a family member or relative with NASH, you should be especially careful
If you are told that your liver function is abnormal, we recommend that you visit a doctor to consider the possibility of NASH
４．Nonalcoholic Fatty Acid Disease (NAFLD)) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)）Prevention and treatment methods for
NASH is difficult to cure, with a 15-year survival rate of around 60%
As a preventative measure, daily care and early detection and treatment are important. Be sure to review your lifestyle habits and take care not to develop fatty liver
４−1. NAFLDand NASHHow to prevent this
NAFLD and NASH are closely related to lifestyle-related diseases, so they can be prevented by reviewing lifestyle habits
- Reviewing your diet
Be careful not to consume too much sugar, as it can lead to fatty liver. In particular, be careful of fructose from fruit, as it is easily absorbed and converted into neutral fat in the liver
- motion
Fat is burned in the muscles, so try aerobic exercise such as walking and light weight strength training. This will increase muscle mass and boost your basal metabolic rate
- Check your physique
Make sure your BMI is 25 or higher and your waist circumference is 85cm for men and 90cm for women
- test
Get regular blood tests and imaging tests to check the condition of your liver
４−2. NAFLDand NASHTreatment after becoming
Treatment for NAFLD and NASH is a preventative approach that focuses on controlling metabolic syndrome and preventing the progression of liver damage
We will work on your daily life, including diet and exercise therapy. If you are overweight, we recommend that you aim for a normal body shape. First, aim to lose 7% of your body weight
If weight loss is not effective enough, active drug therapy will be implemented. If left untreated, there is a high risk of progression to cirrhosis or developing liver cancer, so caution is required
Medications that are considered effective include vitamin E, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. However, there is still some uncertainty as to whether they can prevent the progression to cirrhosis or the development of liver cancer in the long term. When taking medication, please consult with your doctor before taking it
The following is information published by the Japan Liver Disease Prevention Support Group
5.summary:NAFLD: fatty liver disease requiring cautionand NASHIt is believed that lifestyle changes can be effective in preventing
Fatty liver includes alcoholic hepatitis and non-alcoholic hepatitis (NAFLD)
There are almost no noticeable symptoms, but as the disease progresses, symptoms such as right upper abdominal pain, jaundice, ascites, and edema may appear
NAFLD is divided into two types: non-progressive non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFL) and progressive non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)
The main symptoms of NAFLD are as follows:
- Get tired easily
- stiff shoulders
- decreased concentration
Such
In addition, NAFLD can lead to angina and myocardial infarction, and can progress to NASH, which is difficult to cure and has a 15-year survival rate of around 60%
If you want to try out effective prevention methods, review your lifestyle habits, such as your daily diet and exercise
We have previously introduced articles on how to improve fatty liver, so if you are interested, please refer to the following article
reference:[Supervised by a doctor] How to improve fatty liver?
Supervision: Dr. Yasushi Tsuda