Can Diabetes Cause Liver Damage?

Diabetes and Liver

The liver is a key organ in the body. For some people who have diabetes, the liver may be affected by certain health concerns, and hence it is especially important to take care of your liver if you or a loved one has diabetes.

In this article, we will take a look at whether it can damage your liver, if problems in the liver can increase your blood sugar levels and how you can ensure that you take good care of your liver.

Can Diabetes Cause Liver Damage?

Diabetes is one of the most common causes of damage to the liver and various liver diseases [1]. Almost all the different types of liver diseases can also happen as a result of diabetes.   

Here are some of the most common liver diseases that can happen as a result of diabetes: 

1. Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease or NAFLD

• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a very common chronic liver disease.
• It is a type of fatty liver disease that does not occur as a result of daily alcohol consumption, hence the name non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
• This happens when there is a constant build-up of a large number of lipids in the cells of the liver.
• The liver naturally has some amount of fat, but when this excess accumulation takes place and leads to more than 5 to 10 percent of the liver’s total weight, the condition is referred to as a chronic fatty liver disease.
• Diabetes can increase the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH.   
• For those who have diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease can also increase the risk of developing various heart and cardiovascular diseases. 

2. Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis or Nash

• In some cases, individuals with diabetes who have the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease may also progress to a liver condition that is known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH.   
• This is a more serious and aggressive form of liver disease as compared to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
• In cases of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH, the liver becomes inflamed and the condition can then also progress towards a higher form of scarring of the liver, which is known as liver cirrhosis.    

3. Fibrosis in the Liver

• Both non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, as well as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, can cause serious inflammation of the liver.
• Over long periods and continuous scarring of the liver, scar tissues can start to develop around the liver as well as in the blood vessels of the nearby area.
• While this is a serious condition, the liver may still be able to continue most of its functions even with inflammation and scarring.

4. Liver Cirrhosis

• Liver cirrhosis is one of the most severe stages of liver damage and is a result of long-term and persistent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis as well as liver fibrosis over a period of time.
• In liver cirrhosis, the liver can shrink in size and it also becomes lumpy.
• This is a permanent kind of damage to the liver that cannot be reversed. 
• Liver cirrhosis can lead to complete and permanent failure of the liver, where the liver is so damaged that it stops working. 
• In some conditions, liver cirrhosis can also lead to cancer of the liver. 

In severe cases, both NAFLD and NASH can lead to complete failure of the liver.  

How Can I Keep My Liver Healthy With Diabetes?

It is true that when you have diabetes, you have a higher chance of developing some health issues and concerns as compared to those who do not have diabetes. The same is true for the health of your liver.

Here are a few ways in which you can still take care of your liver and keep it healthy, even when you have diabetes:

1. Manage Your Diabetes

Manage your diabetes and be in constant touch with your diabetes healthcare team to understand how you can keep your blood sugar levels within the desired range.

2. Lose Weight

Lose weight if you are overweight or obese. Your diabetes healthcare team will help you formulate a fitness and diet plan to help you reach your goal with better results.

You can also check out very easy yet effective exercise videos and articles on our app as well as on our website and blog. 

3. Keep Your Blood Pressure in Check

Speak to your diabetes healthcare team about any tests that you may need to do in order to understand more about your overall health as well as the reasons behind your high blood pressure levels. Monitor your blood pressure levels at intervals as suggested by your doctor.

4. Reduce or quit alcohol consumption and smoking

Both alcohol and smoking are harmful to your liver, and these have a higher risk of damaging your liver when you already have diabetes.

While some say that it is alright to have one to two drinks a day, please make sure that you speak to your diabetes healthcare team to understand what is considered alright or appropriate for you, keeping your overall health and health risks in mind.

5. Monitor your bad cholesterol or LDL

Bad cholesterol or LDL is also known as a lipoprotein. It is important that you keep your bad cholesterol as well as the triglycerides or blood fat levels within the recommended range. Your doctor will assess your overall health and tell you what the recommended range will be.   

Can Liver Problems Raise Blood Sugar?

The liver is an organ in the body that stores sugar as well as produces sugar. In healthier cases, the liver makes sugar when your body needs it.

For instance, when you are sleeping at night and in between your meals, the liver will produce the required amount of sugar. It does so by a process that is referred to as glycogenolysis. 

However, if the liver gets damaged, there can be issues with its production and storage of glucose, and this can lead to raised or irregular blood sugar levels.  

What Liver Problems Cause High Blood Sugar?

Here are some instances where problems in the liver could lead to high levels of blood sugar: 

1. High stress 

• In high-stress levels, the adrenal glands in the kidneys start releasing hormones. 
• These travel through the blood to the liver and as a result, the liver releases some of the glucose that it has stored. This could lead to high blood sugar levels.

2. Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

• This could lead to a higher amount of glucose being generated and traveling to the bloodstream.

• If left untreated or over a prolonged period of time, NAFLD can lead to more serious liver damage that will also affect your blood sugar levels.

With timely treatment and with the right management of your diabetes overall health, it is possible to keep your liver healthy.

Speak to your diabetes healthcare team to understand what you can do to keep your liver healthy and how you can achieve your goals.