What is fatty liver?
- Fatty liver disease, also known as hepatic steatosis, refers to the accumulation of fat in the liver.
- When there is excess fat stored in the liver, it can lead to scarring of the liver, which is also known as cirrhosis.
What are the different types of fatty liver?
- There are two primary types of fatty liver. The first is alcoholic fatty liver disease due to excessive alcohol consumption.
- The second type is called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease previously called (NAFLD).
- In more recent times, this name has changed to metabolic dysfunction-associated Steatotic liver disease (MASLD), which is increasing in incidence due to the increased prevalence of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, Insulin resistance, and Metabolic Syndrome.
- In its most severe form, NAFLD/MASLD can lead to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), which can lead to liver inflammation and damage to the liver if not treated.
- NAFLD/MASLD is the most common form of fatty liver and can range in severity from mild with no damage to the liver, to severe inflammation in the liver (steatohepatitis).
- NASH/MASH is more common in older people, people with diabetes and those with fat concentrated in the abdomen (Central adiposity).
What are the symptoms of fatty liver disease?
- A “silent disease”, there are often no physical symptoms at all, but there may be mildly abnormal liver blood test results.
- Other common symptoms include fatigue, abdominal aching pain (upper right).
What causes fatty liver?
- Fatty liver is not caused only by eating fatty foods but by poor dietary habits in association with obesity, diabetes, and/or excess alcohol consumption.
- In Australia, fatty liver affects 1 in every 3 people.
What are the risk factors for fatty liver?
- Obesity – about 70% of people who are obese have fatty liver
- Type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance
- Excess alcohol
- Metabolic syndrome
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
- Sleep apnoea
- Underactive thyroid
- Underactive pituitary gland (hypopituitarism)
- High blood cholesterol and elevated triglycerides
What happens if I don’t treat fatty liver?
- Untreated fatty liver increases the risk of Cardiovascular death, kidney disease, and Liver cancer and for some people, fatty liver will progress to liver cirrhosis.
- Cirrhosis is irreversible scarring of the liver, leading to symptoms such as abdominal swelling, cognitive impairment, bleeding, and an elevated risk of liver cancer, contributing to an overall increase in mortality risk.
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