Causes of fatty liver
Fatty liver disease is a common liver disease whose main characteristic is the excessive accumulation of fat in the liver, usually exceeding 5% of the liver's weight. The formation of fatty liver is closely related to many factors, including the following aspects:
▸Bad eating habits: Excessive intake of high-fat, high-sugar and high-calorie foods is one of the main causes of fatty liver. When the body consumes more calories than it consumes, the excess calories are converted into fat and stored in the body, including the liver. In addition, long-term irregular diet and overeating will also increase the risk of fatty liver.
▸Obesity: Obesity is one of the important causes of fatty liver. Studies have shown that the prevalence of fatty liver in obese people is significantly higher than that in people of normal weight. Increase in weight will lead to disorders of fat metabolism in the body and increase the accumulation of fat in the liver.
▸Alcohol intake: Long-term heavy drinking can lead to alcoholic fatty liver disease. Alcohol and its metabolites are toxic to liver cells and increase the synthesis of triglycerides in the liver, leading to the accumulation of fat in the liver.
▸Metabolic diseases: Metabolic diseases such as diabetes and hyperlipidemia are also common causes of fatty liver. Diabetic patients have abnormal fat metabolism due to insulin resistance, which easily leads to the accumulation of fat in the liver. Patients with hyperlipidemia who have excessive amounts of fat in their blood may also increase the risk of fatty liver disease.
▸Drugs and chemicals: Certain drugs such as tetracycline, adrenocortical hormones, etc., as well as some chemical poisons such as yellow phosphorus, arsenic, etc., can interfere with the metabolism and synthesis of lipoproteins and cause the accumulation of fat in the liver.
Symptoms of patients with fatty liver disease
The symptoms of fatty liver are usually insidious, and there may be no obvious discomfort in the early stages. However, as the disease progresses, patients may develop the following symptoms:
▸Fatigue: This is one of the most common symptoms of fatty liver disease. Patients may feel general fatigue and lack of energy, especially after physical activity.
▸Upper abdominal discomfort: Some patients may experience upper abdominal distension, discomfort or dull pain, especially after eating. This discomfort may be related to an enlarged liver or compression of the tissue surrounding the liver.
▸Indigestion: Patients with fatty liver disease may experience indigestion symptoms such as loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and bloating. These symptoms are related to impaired liver function and reduced bile secretion.
▸Pain in the liver area: In the case of liver enlargement or liver fibrosis, the patient may feel dull or distending pain in the right upper abdomen or under the right rib.
▸Jaundice: When fatty liver progresses to steatohepatitis or liver fibrosis, patients may develop jaundice, which is manifested as yellowing of the skin and eyes. Jaundice is caused by impaired liver function and abnormal bilirubin metabolism.
▸Other symptoms: Some patients may develop signs such as spider nevi and liver palms. These signs are due to impaired liver function and abnormal estrogen metabolism in the body.
Treatment of patients with fatty liver disease
The goals of treatment for fatty liver are to remove the cause, improve liver function, and prevent further progression of the disease. The following are the main treatments for patients with fatty liver disease:
1: Lifestyle intervention
Lifestyle intervention is the cornerstone of fatty liver treatment, mainly including dietary management and physical exercise.
▸Diet management: Patients should strictly control their diet and reduce the intake of high-fat, high-sugar and high-calorie foods. It is recommended to adopt a low-fat, high dietary fiber diet and eat more fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains. At the same time, you should strictly abstain from alcohol to avoid further damage to the liver. For obese patients, weight control is the key.
▸Physical exercise: Appropriate physical exercise helps promote fat metabolism and reduce the accumulation of liver fat. Patients are advised to perform aerobic exercise, such as jogging, brisk walking, swimming, cycling, etc. Exercise should be gradual and avoid excessive intensity. It should be performed at least 3 times a week, each time for more than 30 minutes.
2: Drug treatment
Drug treatment is an important part of the comprehensive treatment of fatty liver, mainly including the following types of drugs:
▸Lipid-lowering drugs: For patients with high blood lipid levels, lipid-lowering drugs such as statins (such as simvastatin) and fibrates (such as fenofibrate) can be used. These drugs can reduce the fat content in the blood and reduce the accumulation of fat in the liver.
▸Liver-protecting and enzyme-lowering drugs: such as polyene phosphatidylcholine, diammonium glycyrrhizinate, glucuronide, reduced glutathione, etc. These drugs can protect liver cells, improve liver function, and reduce liver enzyme levels.
▸Antioxidants: such as vitamin E, vitamin C, etc. Antioxidants can remove free radicals in the body and reduce oxidative stress damage to the liver.
▸Insulin sensitization: For patients with fatty liver combined with diabetes, drugs such as biguanides (such as metformin) or thiazolidinediones (such as pioglitazone) can be used. These drugs can improve insulin resistance and promote fat metabolism.
3: Etiological treatment
Treatment of the cause of fatty liver is the key to preventing the progression of the disease.
▸Control blood sugar: For patients with diabetes, blood sugar levels should be actively controlled to avoid further damage to the liver caused by high blood sugar.
▸Discontinue the use of pathogenic drugs: If fatty liver is caused by certain drugs, these drugs should be discontinued and other alternative drugs should be selected under the guidance of a doctor.
▸Treat metabolic diseases: For metabolic diseases such as hyperlipidemia and obesity, appropriate treatment measures should be taken, such as diet control, drug therapy, etc.
▸Surgery
For patients who are particularly obese and cannot lose weight through diet and exercise, weight loss surgery can be considered. Surgery can help patients lose weight quickly and improve the condition of fatty liver. In addition, for patients with fatty liver that develops into cirrhosis in the late stage, severe liver damage or failure, liver transplantation can be considered.
4: Emerging treatment methods
In recent years, some new treatment methods and drugs have attracted much attention.
▸Probiotics and prebiotics: By regulating intestinal microbial flora, improving intestinal function and promoting fat metabolism.
▸Gene therapy and stem cell therapy: These emerging treatment methods have shown certain potential in improving the pathological process of fatty liver. Gene therapy can inhibit the further development of fatty liver by changing the patient's gene expression; stem cell therapy uses the regenerative ability of stem cells to repair damaged liver tissue.
Conclusion
Fatty liver is a reversible disease. Through active lifestyle intervention, drug therapy and etiological treatment, the condition of most patients can be significantly improved. However, the treatment of fatty liver requires long-term persistence, and patients should undergo regular liver function tests and imaging examinations to monitor changes in the condition. In addition, the prevention of fatty liver is also very important. It should start with improving lifestyle, eating a reasonable diet, exercising moderately, quitting smoking and drinking to reduce the incidence of fatty liver.
