Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Non- alcoholic fatty liver disease or Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis is a condition that results in the inflammation of the liver that can also lead to scarring and liver damage that cannot be reversed. NAFLD can lead to liver cirrhosis and liver failure. In the U.S., 80 to 100 million people are affected by this disease. It mostly strikes people from 40-50 years of age, who are at a high risk of heart disease caused by obesity and type 2 diabetes. NAFLD is also linked to metabolic syndromes like hypertension, increase in the levels of triglycerides, increase in abdominal fat, inability to use hormone insulin.
- Resistance to insulin, which implies that the cells are unable to take up sugar in response to hormone insulin.
- Hyperglycemia or type2 diabetes.
- Metabolic syndrome.
- High cholesterol.
- Jaundice or yellowness.
- Ascites or swelling in the abdomen.
- Enlarged blood vessel under the skin.
- Redness in palms.
- Development of breast tissues in men.
- Encephalopathy, changes in mental health when liver fails to eliminate toxins from the brain.
- Enlargement of the spleen.
- Wilson’s disease.
- lipodystrophy, a disease of storage of fats.
- intravenous nutrition.
- abetalipoproteinemia (a disease of fat transport).
- Medicines like corticosteroids, tamoxifen(Nolvadex) and methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall).
- Liver enlargement.
- Excessive bleeding.
- Pain in the upper right part of the stomach.
- Loss of weight.
- Blood tests: Doctors recommend blood tests for a complete blood count, fasting-blood sugar, lipid profile, hemoglobin A1C, liver function testing, testing for chronic viral hepatitis and celiac disease screening test.
- Imaging tests: Doctors recommend imaging tests like Ultrasound, CT scan and MRI.
Transient Elastography and Magnetic Resonance Elastography are advanced forms of Ultrasound used to detect stiffness of the liver that indicates scarring.
- Liver biopsy: Examination of the liver by extracting a tissue from the liver by the doctors is also recommended.
- Lose weight.
- Vaccinations against hepatitis A and B.
- Changes in lifetysle that include change in diet, exercising daily and maintaining a healthy body weight.
- controlling cholesterol and blood glucose levels.
- avoiding alcohol.
- supplements (antioxidants).
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- liver transplantation.
Life after surgery:
Liver transplants are usually a great success. According to the most recent year computed UNOS/OPTN (2004) national average one-year graft survival at 83%, and patient survival at 87% for patients receiving a deceased donor liver and 92% for those transplanted with an organ from a living donor.
After a liver transplant, a patient is recommended to stay in the I.C.U for a few days and then later shifted to the transplant recovery area for 5-10 days. The patient can then go back to normal day-to-day activities. Regular follow-ups are advised and patients have to take the medicines for lifetime.
Risks involved in a liver transplant include:
- Organ rejection.
- Failure of the donated liver.
- Clots of blood.
- Bile duct leaks.
- Shrinking of bile ducts.
- Long-term complications may also include recurrence of liver disease in the transplanted liver.
If the patient incorporates healthy habits, then there is a high chance of preserving the liver from further damage for a long time or even reverse it.
However, be sure that if you don’t feel any symptoms from NAFLD, that doesn’t mean liver scarring has not occurred. Maintain a healthy lifestyle to protect your liver and go for regular follow ups.
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease attacks more than 64 million people every year in the United States, costing over $100 billion.
In the late 90s, when the first successful liver transplants were done in India, the procedure cost Rs.20 lakh. Now, a resection costs between Rs.3 and 4 lakh and a transplant Rs.20-25 lakh in a private hospital.
New Life Clinics offers a low-risk way to treat Non-alcoholic Live Transplant. Our team of experienced and skilled doctors make life at hospital a painless one and guarantee a speedy recovery.