Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

What Is NAFLD?

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a condition that affects those who drink little alcohol or none at all. But the damage done to the liver is similar to the damage that can be done by a heavy drinker.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease occurs when fat begins to accumulate in the tissue of the liver. Eventually this accumulation causes inflammation. Inflammation causes scarring. The most severe cases of this condition are described by medical professionals as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, which can lead to liver failure.

The term nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is sometimes abbreviated to NAFLD.

NAFLD also occurs when the liver can no longer process fats at a necessary level of efficiency. Medical research has not been able to determine why it happens, partly because the various diseases and conditions associated with NAFLD make it difficult to isolate a cause.

There are several kinds of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The effects can range from mild and harmless to extremely serious and even life-threatening.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease This is the simplest form, and is believed to be common. Excess fat appears in the liver, but not enough to cause a significant damage.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (also known as NASH) Enough fat builds up to impair liver function and pose a threat to health.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease-associated cirrhosis Excess fat accumulation has led to significant inflammation and scarring has begun. If the scarring process is not stopped, liver failure becomes a possibility.

Symptoms of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is one of those "silent diseases" that you don't know you have until some damage has been done to your liver. Often, there are no symptoms. But some people experience fatigue, upper right abdominal pain and unexpected weight loss.

Treatment

There's currently no treatment for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease itself. Doctors usually try to arrest the progression of the disease by working with you on factors that contributed to the problem in the first place.

Obesity is a common risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Obesity is now the number one cause of liver disease in both the United States and Canada, passing alcohol-related liver problems in the last decade.

If obesity is the probable cause, your doctor will recommend weight loss through diet and exercise. He or she may also suggest certain medications. It's also possible, however, that a medication you're already taking is causing your fatty liver disease. In that instance, your doctor will recommend an alternative.

In some cases, surgery may be appropriate. In the most advanced cases, where liver failure is imminent, a liver transplant may be the only option.

Diabetes is especially tough on the liver. If you have diabetes, your doctor will take steps to make sure it's under control and that you're monitoring your blood sugar levels carefully.

When you've been diagnosed with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, it will also be important for you to lead a "liver-healthy" lifestyle. That means a diet that includes a lot of fruits and vegetables rather than animal fats. It also means getting regular exercise.

You'll need to avoid doing anything that's dangerous to your liver. That includes alcohol and certain over-the-counter drugs and medications.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis should be regarded seriously. The fact that they occur in individuals who are not heavy drinkers sometimes leads people to think NALFD and NASH are "no big deal." This certainly may not be the case. 

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