The good news is that fatty liver disease can be reversed—and even cured—if patients take action, including a 10% sustained loss in body weight.
In some cases, the liver damage stops or even reverses itself. But in others, the disease continues to progress. If you have NASH, it's important to control any conditions that may contribute to fatty liver disease.
Healing can begin as early as a few days to weeks after you stop drinking, but if the damage is severe, healing can take several months. In some cases, “if the damage to the liver has been long-term, it may not be reversible,” warns Dr. Stein.
In most cases, fatty liver disease doesn't cause any serious problems or prevent your liver from functioning normally. But for 7% to 30% of people with the condition, fatty liver disease gets worse over time. It progresses through three stages: Your liver becomes inflamed (swollen), which damages its tissue.
Patients can live for many years with NAFLD, but many – about 30% – eventually end up with an inflamed liver or NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis), and scarring. Of these, about 20% will develop end-stage cirrhosis, which can lead to liver failure and cancer.
In the most serious cases, NAFLD can cause the liver to swell (steatohepatitis), which can lead to scarring, or cirrhosis, over time — and may even lead to liver cancer or liver failure. But many people live normal lives with NAFLD as long as they improve their diet, exercise and maintain a healthy weight.
Fatty liver disease is reversible. If you stop drinking alcohol for some time (months or years), your liver should return to normal.
Overweight or obesity. Insulin resistance, in which your cells don't take up sugar in response to the hormone insulin. High blood sugar (hyperglycemia), indicating prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. High levels of fats, particularly triglycerides, in the blood.
exercise regularly – aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, such as walking or cycling, a week; all types of exercise can help improve NAFLD, even if you do not lose weight. stop smoking – if you smoke, stopping can help reduce your risk of problems such as heart attacks and strokes.
For example, blood tests for transaminases are often used to monitor liver inflammation. If the numbers go down, that's a good sign. Also, blood tests of clotting function, such as the PT/INR, can be used to assess if the liver is producing proteins appropriately.
According to the American Liver Foundation, there are no medical treatments – yet – for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. So that means that eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly are the best ways to both prevent liver damage from starting or reverse liver disease once it's in the early stages.
Approximately 20% of patients with NASH with advanced NAFLD Fibrosis Score (NFS) (F3) fibrosis or compensated cirrhosis will progress to cirrhosis or develop decompensation, respectively, over a 2-year time period.
Another 20% to 30% of individuals progress to more advanced NASH fibrosis, and the final stage is NASH cirrhosis. It used to be thought that progression from early stage NAFLD to cirrhosis took decades, but recent studies have shown that some people progress rapidly within 2 years.
NAFLD affects about 25% of people in the world. As the rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol are rising in the United States, so is the rate of NAFLD. NAFLD is the most common chronic liver disorder in the United States.
Fatty liver may cause no damage, but sometimes the excess fat leads to inflammation of the liver. This condition, called steatohepatitis, does cause liver damage. Sometimes, inflammation from a fatty liver is linked to alcohol abuse. This is known as alcoholic steatohepatitis.
Evidence suggests that NAFLD may begin in utero in children of diabetic mothers. However, NAFLD typically is diagnosed between the ages of 10–13 years. The actual onset of disease for most children is not known. At diagnosis 10–25% of children can have advanced fibrosis.
It can lead to much more serious conditions including cirrhosis and liver failure.” The good news is that fatty liver disease can be reversed—and even cured—if patients take action, including a 10% sustained loss in body weight.
Fatty liver is most commonly diagnosed by a routine liver function test drawn from your blood. The alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is a specific marker for liver inflammation and is typically elevated in individuals with a fatty liver.
The liver shrinking diet is a low-calorie, low-fat, low-carb restrictive diet that reduces glycogen, water, and fatty deposits in the liver to make it smaller.
Symptoms of an inflamed liver can include: Feelings of fatigue. Jaundice (a condition that causes your skin and the whites of your eyes to turn yellow) Feeling full quickly after a meal.