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Fatty Liver Disease: The Silent Threat You Shouldn’t Ignore

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Do you know that fatty liver disease affects more than 50% of the Indian population? This makes it one of the most common types of liver disease in the whole world. When the liver becomes fatty, it swells up and gradually gets damaged, if left unchecked.^{1, 2}

Having a fatty liver also puts you at an increased risk of certain other medical conditions, like heart disorders.²Hence, it becomes crucial to recognise the early signs of fatty liver and understand its causes to avoid potential risks and keep your liver healthy.

Keep reading to learn more.

What Is Fatty Liver Disease?

A healthy liver contains little fat. But in the case of fatty liver, there is fat buildup inside the liver. The actual problem arises when this fat buildup exceeds more than 5% of your body weight. This causes a healthy liver to swell up and become inflamed over time.²

While most cases of fat buildup in the liver do not lead to serious health issues, some of them might cause loss of function or liver disease.²

Why Was Fatty Liver Disease Renamed Steatotic Liver Disease?

In 2023, the term fatty liver was replaced by steatotic liver disease. The word ‘fatty’ might confuse many that weight gain and obesity are the only causative factors for the disease. And the new terminology would more accurately reflect the cause of the disease.²

The name change was also done to keep the sentiments of overweight people in mind and to prevent their stigmatisation.²

What Are The Types Of Fatty Liver Disease?

The following are the types of fatty liver disease, based on their cause and symptoms:

Alcohol-Related Liver Disease (ALD)

As the name indicates, this type of liver disease is caused by heavy alcohol consumption, i.e. drinking 30 to 50 grams of alcohol for over five years.³ Each time the alcohol passes through your liver, some of its cells die. And while your liver can tolerate moderate drinking, it might not be able to keep up with prolonged and heavy exposure, leading to damage.²

Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD)

Earlier, this was called NAFLD or Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, as this type wasn’t linked to alcohol consumption. But later, the name was changed to identify the true culprit behind the disease i.e. cardiometabolic risk factors (factors or conditions that increase your heart attack risk). These factors include:²

Obesity
Type 2 diabetes
High blood pressure
Body fat-related abnormalities

Metabolic-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH)

In this type of fatty liver, the chronic fat buildup in the liver would have already caused some serious damage. Prolonged fat accumulation may cause liver scarring and fibrosis (hardening), which can lead to cirrhosis or liver failure. Previously, this was known as non-alcohol-related steatohepatitis or NASH.²

Is Fatty Liver Disease A Serious Problem?

The earlier stages of fatty liver may not be so serious. In many cases they might not even cause any problems with liver function. But if the condition worsens, it can even lead to liver disease.

Liver disease progresses in the following stages:²

Stage 1 - Hepatitis

The word ‘hepat’ stands for liver, while ‘itis’ means inflammation. In people with hepatitis, the fatty liver progresses to an inflamed liver where there is tissue damage. It is also known as steatohepatitis.

Stage 2 - Fibrosis

The hardening of parts of the liver over time due to scar tissue formation is called fibrosis.

Stage 3 - Cirrhosis

Too many scar tissues start replacing healthy liver tissues, a condition known as liver cirrhosis. Cirrhosis may progress to some life-threatening conditions like liver failure and liver cancer if left unchecked.

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Fatty Liver Disease?

Fatty liver is often called a silent killer, as the patient usually does not have any symptoms until the disease advances. A few early-stage symptoms (if present) include:²

Upper right belly pain
Extreme fatigue

The symptoms are commonly experienced when the disease progresses to cirrhosis. These symptoms include:²

Nausea
Loss of appetite
Unexplained weight loss
Yellowish skin and whites of the eyes
Swelling in your abdomen
Swelling in your legs, feet or hands
Bleeding inside the alimentary canal (digestive tract)

What Causes Fatty Liver Disease?

There are many causes and risk factors of fatty liver disease, which include:²

Frequent and heavy alcohol consumption
Having metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high triglyceride levels)
Having Type 2 diabetes
Being overweight or obese (BMI >25)
Having polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Having obstructive sleep apnea (a temporary pause in breathing during sleep)
Having hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormones).
Having hypopituitarism (low pituitary gland hormones).
Having hypogonadism (low sex hormones).
Taking certain medications, such as amiodarone, diltiazem, tamoxifen or steroids.

How Is Fatty Liver Disease Diagnosed?

As the fatty liver is mostly silent in the early stages, it's only an abnormal bloodwork result which may raise concerns. A person with fatty liver may have increased levels of liver enzymes in their blood, indicating liver injury.²

The diagnosis is made by your doctor through:

Medical History

Your doctor may ask questions about your medical history—the medicines you’re taking, your drinking habits, etc.

Physical Exam

They may perform a physical exam to check if you have an enlarged liver or jaundice.

Imaging Techniques

An ultrasound, CTA scan or MRI can screen your liver for signs of inflammation. Another advanced ultrasound procedure called a FibroScan may also be performed to look for fat and scar tissue in the liver.

Liver Biopsy

A small tissue sample is taken from the liver to assess disease progression in fatty liver patients.

How Is Fatty Liver Disease Treated?

There are no specific medicines or treatments for fatty liver disease. But your doctor can help you improve the condition by identifying its causes and suggesting lifestyle changes.²

Here are some suggestions that your doctor might recommend if you have a fatty liver:²

Quit Drinking

It’s best to stay away from alcohol to keep your liver healthy, irrespective of whether your fatty liver is or isn’t related to alcohol use.

Lose Excess Weight

Studies suggest that losing that extra weight can help improve your fatty liver. So your doctor might recommend a certain diet, exercise, medications or even surgery for weight loss.

Manage Your Metabolic Conditions

Your doctor may prescribe medicines to manage your metabolic conditions like diabetes, high cholesterol and blood lipids.

Get Vaccinated

Viral infections like hepatitis A and hepatitis B are very dangerous if you already have liver disease. So it’s best to get vaccinated for the same.

How Can Fatty Liver Disease Be Prevented?

Here are a few tips to keep your liver healthy and prevent fatty liver:²

Maintain a healthy weight.
Limit your drinking habits.
Exercise regularly.
Manage your metabolic conditions well.

Does Fatty Liver Disease Go Away?

Your liver is a powerful organ with an incredible ability to repair itself. So yes, with the right treatment plan, it is possible to reduce liver fat and inflammation. But the reversibility will depend on the severity of your condition. Both early-stage fatty liver and scarring, to some extent, can be reversed with the help of a good treatment plan.²

What Is A Good Diet To Follow With Fatty Liver Disease?

For people with weight-gain-related fatty liver, it’s important to gradually lose weight by adopting healthy eating habits. Experts often recommend a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and good fats, such as the Mediterranean diet. A few additional good food choices could be nuts, seeds, whole grains, fish and chicken.²

You should also remember to limit your sugar intake and steer clear of red meat and processed foods.²

Conclusion

Fatty liver is a common condition that can cause significant liver damage. But if managed well and detected on time, it can be treated, and healthy liver function can be restored.

Also, a comprehensive blood test can go a long way in assessing your liver function and identifying other risk factors for fatty liver. You can opt for the Ayushman Tax Saver package, a detailed blood test package that gives insights into your health while providing tax-saving benefits. Suitable for all adults over the age of 20, it tests 92 parameters, including your liver function, and gives fast and accurate results within 48 hours.

Call 18002665533 to know more.