Hepatic steatosis, also known as liver fat, is a common problem, which can occur at any stage of life, but occurs mainly in people over 50 years of age.
In general, it does not cause symptoms and can have several causes, the most common being excessive alcohol consumption and metabolic changes such as abdominal obesity, diabetes and insulin resistance, and therefore, its treatment is done with changes in diet, physical activity and control of diseases such as diabetes and high cholesterol.
However, if it is not controlled, or if it develops to an advanced degree, it can be serious and risk the correct functioning of the liver. Here are the main questions about this problem.
Is fat in the liver dangerous?
Yes, because it is usually silent, and if not taken care of, recommended by the doctor, it can evolve and cause more severe inflammation in the liver, which over the years increases the chances of developing cirrhosis and insufficiency of the body.
2. Can lean people have liver fat?
Yes, this problem can occur even in thin people, especially those who do not eat healthy or who have problems like diabetes and high cholesterol.
In addition, losing too much weight quickly can also cause liver fat due to changes that occur in metabolism, especially in people who have had stomach reduction surgery.
3. What are the causes of liver fat?
The main factors that increase the risk of developing liver fat include consuming excess alcohol, obesity, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, high cholesterol, being over 50 years old, malnutrition, use of medications such as glucocorticoids, and diseases of the liver, such as chronic hepatitis and Wilson's disease.
4. It is normal to have fat in the liver and not to feel symptoms.
Truth. Usually this problem only causes symptoms in later stages when the liver can no longer function properly. See the symptoms here.
Thus, it is normal for the patient to discover this disease only when going to take blood or ultrasonography to evaluate other health problems.
5. There is no remedy for fighting liver fat.
Truth. Generally, no specific medications are used to combat this problem, and its treatment is made with changes in diet, regular physical activity, elimination of alcohol consumption, weight loss and control of diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol.
6. I have fat in the liver, so I can not get pregnant.
Lie. It is possible the pregnancy, however, should be planned and accompanied by the gastro doctor or hepatologist. In the mildest degree, fat in the liver does not usually disrupt pregnancy, as long as the woman follows a balanced diet.
However, there may be restrictions depending on the degree of the disease and the existence of other health problems, such as overweight, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and it is necessary to talk to the doctor to treat the disease and reduce the risk of complications during this period.
In addition, it is possible to develop acute hepatic steatosis during pregnancy, a serious condition, and it should be treated quickly. See more here.
7. Can Kids Have Liver Fat?
Yes, especially children who have obesity and diabetes or are at high risk of developing diabetes because excess weight and blood sugar cause changes in metabolism that favor the accumulation of fat in the liver.
The main part of the treatment is food, so see what the diet for fat in the liver should look like.
