{"id":5843,"date":"2022-09-26T15:54:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-26T10:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/?p=5843"},"modified":"2024-06-12T16:17:06","modified_gmt":"2024-06-12T10:47:06","slug":"nafld-symptoms-causes-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/nafld-symptoms-causes-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) &#8211; Symptoms, Causes and Treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Did you know that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.diabetesresearchclinicalpractice.com\/article\/S0168-8227(19)31230-6\/fulltext\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1 in every ten adults<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has diabetes worldwide? What\u2019s worse is that scientists believe 700 million people could be affected by diabetes by 2030! <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even more alarming? India saw a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indiatoday.in\/health\/story\/type-1-diabetes-india-icmr-guidelines-treatment-symptoms-insulin-1959406-2022-06-07\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">150% increase<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in people with diabetes in 2020. When treating diabetes, we are not just looking at high blood sugar levels. We also have to manage the many complications that arise from diabetes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One such complication is <\/span><b>NAFLD, full-form nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Recent studies show that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.journal-of-hepatology.eu\/article\/S0168-8278(19)30393-9\/fulltext\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">one in every two patients<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with type 2 diabetes also has NAFLD. With such high risks of complications, you may wonder, <\/span><b>what is NAFLD?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> And how can we avoid it?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;&lt;div class=&quot;col-lg-12 cta-block cta-mob col-sm-12 col-xs-12 manage-diabetes-cta&quot;&gt;\n                    &lt;div class=&quot;cta-body&quot;&gt;\n                        &lt;div class=&quot;row&quot; &gt;\n                            &lt;div class=&quot;col-lg-8  col-sm-8 col-xs-12&quot;&gt;\n                                &lt;strong class=&quot;cta-heading&quot;&gt;No more stress while managing diabetes&lt;\/strong&gt;\n                                &lt;p class=&quot;cta-content&quot;&gt;Don\u2019t struggle alone &amp; get the expert care you deserve&lt;\/p&gt;\n                            &lt;\/div&gt;\n                        &lt;\/div&gt;\n                            &lt;div class=&quot;cta-form&quot;&gt;\n                            &lt;input type=&quot;hidden&quot; value=&quot;Manage Diabetes&quot; id=&quot;category_name&quot;&gt; \n                                &lt;div class=&quot;row&quot;&gt;\n                                    &lt;form autocomplete=&quot;off&quot; class=&quot;&quot;&gt;\n                                        &lt;div class=&quot;col-lg-4 col-md-4&quot;&gt;\n                                            &lt;div class=&quot;form-group&quot;&gt;\n                                                &lt;input type=&quot;text&quot; id=&quot;name&quot; placeholder=&quot;Enter Name&quot; class=&quot;form-control input-md&quot;  onkeypress=&quot;return (event.charCode &gt; 64 &amp;&amp; event.charCode &lt; 91) || (event.charCode &gt; 96 &amp;&amp; event.charCode &lt; 123) || (event.charCode==32)&quot;  required&gt;\n                                                &lt;span class=&quot;error&quot;&gt;Required&lt;\/span&gt;\n                                            &lt;\/div&gt;\n                                        &lt;\/div&gt;\n                                        &lt;div class=&quot;col-lg-4 col-md-4&quot;&gt;\n                                            &lt;div class=&quot;form-group&quot;&gt;\n                                                &lt;input type=&quot;number&quot; id=&quot;mobile&quot; onkeypress=&quot;if (this.value.length &gt;9) return false;RestrictFirstZero(event)&quot;  onkeydown=&quot;return (event.which &gt;= 48 &amp;&amp; event.which &lt;= 57) || event.which == 8 || event.which == 46&quot; type=&quot;number&quot; minlength=&quot;10&quot; maxlength = &quot;11&quot; placeholder=&quot;Enter Contact No.&quot; class=&quot;form-control input-md&quot; required&gt;\n                                                &lt;span class=&quot;error&quot;&gt;Invalid number&lt;\/span&gt;\n                                            &lt;\/div&gt;\n                                        &lt;\/div&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;col-lg-4 col-md-4&quot;&gt;\n                                            &lt;div class=&quot;form-group&quot;&gt;\n                                                &lt;input type=&quot;email&quot; id=&quot;email&quot; placeholder=&quot;Enter Email&quot; class=&quot;form-control input-md&quot;&gt;\n                                                &lt;span class=&quot;error&quot;&gt;Invalid Email Id&lt;\/span&gt;\n                                            &lt;\/div&gt;\n                                        &lt;\/div&gt;\n                                        &lt;div class=&quot;col-lg-12&quot;&gt;\n                                            &lt;div class=&quot;cta-button&quot;&gt;\n                                                &lt;button id=&quot;save-data-CRM&quot; type=&quot;button&quot; class=&quot;btn&quot; style=&quot;color:#fff !important;&quot;&gt;Talk to a Program Advisor&lt;\/button&gt;\n                                            &lt;\/div&gt;\n                                        &lt;\/div&gt;\n                                    &lt;\/form&gt;\n                                &lt;\/div&gt;\n                            &lt;\/div&gt;\n                    &lt;\/div&gt;\n                    \n                    &lt;img class=&quot;cta-img&quot; src=&quot;https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/6.png&quot; alt=&quot;A Smiling man with folded hands&quot; title=&quot;A Smiling man with folded hands&quot;&gt;\n                &lt;\/div&gt;&quot;}\" data-sheets-userformat=\"{&quot;2&quot;:15105,&quot;3&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:0},&quot;11&quot;:4,&quot;12&quot;:0,&quot;14&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:2764340},&quot;15&quot;:&quot;inherit&quot;,&quot;16&quot;:11}\"><div class=\"col-lg-12 cta-block cta-mob col-sm-12 col-xs-12 manage-diabetes-cta\">\n                    <div class=\"cta-body\">\n                        <div class=\"row\" >\n                            <div class=\"col-lg-8  col-sm-8 col-xs-12\">\n                                <strong class=\"cta-heading\">No more stress while managing diabetes<\/strong>\n                                <p class=\"cta-content\">Don\u2019t struggle alone & get the expert care you deserve<\/p>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n                            <div class=\"cta-form\">\n                            <input type=\"hidden\" value=\"Manage Diabetes\" id=\"category_name\"> \n                                <div class=\"row\">\n                                    <form autocomplete=\"off\" class=\"\">\n                                        <div class=\"col-lg-4 col-md-4\">\n                                            <div class=\"form-group\">\n                                                <input type=\"text\" id=\"name\" placeholder=\"Enter Name\" class=\"form-control input-md\"  onkeypress=\"return (event.charCode > 64 && event.charCode < 91) || (event.charCode > 96 && event.charCode < 123) || (event.charCode==32)\"  required>\n                                                <span class=\"error\">Required<\/span>\n                                            <\/div>\n                                        <\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"col-lg-4 col-md-4\">\n                                            <div class=\"form-group\">\n                                                <input type=\"number\" id=\"mobile\" onkeypress=\"if (this.value.length >9) return false;RestrictFirstZero(event)\"  onkeydown=\"return (event.which >= 48 && event.which <= 57) || event.which == 8 || event.which == 46\" type=\"number\" minlength=\"10\" maxlength = \"11\" placeholder=\"Enter Contact No.\" class=\"form-control input-md\" required>\n                                                <span class=\"error\">Invalid number<\/span>\n                                            <\/div>\n                                        <\/div><div class=\"col-lg-4 col-md-4\">\n                                            <div class=\"form-group\">\n                                                <input type=\"email\" id=\"email\" placeholder=\"Enter Email\" class=\"form-control input-md\">\n                                                <span class=\"error\">Invalid Email Id<\/span>\n                                            <\/div>\n                                        <\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"col-lg-12\">\n                                            <div class=\"cta-button\">\n                                                <button id=\"save-data-CRM\" type=\"button\" class=\"btn\" style=\"color:#fff !important;\">Talk to a Program Advisor<\/button>\n                                            <\/div>\n                                        <\/div>\n                                    <\/form>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                    \n                    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"cta-img lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/6.png\" alt=\"A Smiling man with folded hands\" title=\"A Smiling man with folded hands\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 298px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 298\/380;\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"cta-img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/6.png\" alt=\"A Smiling man with folded hands\" title=\"A Smiling man with folded hands\"><\/noscript>\n                <\/div><\/span><\/p>\n<h2>What is (<strong>NAFLD) <\/strong>Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The liver is one of the essential organs in the body. It clears toxins, breaks down fats, helps form proteins, and balances our blood sugar levels.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People who take large amounts of alcohol damage their livers. Fat cells begin to build up in the liver. This is called alcoholic fatty liver disease. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In some conditions, fat cells accumulate in the liver, even without taking alcohol, which causes a range of diseases called NAFLD or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Are People With Type 2 Diabetes at an Increased Risk for <strong>NAFLD<\/strong>?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Patients with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes and elevated liver enzymes (ALT) or fatty liver on ultrasound should be evaluated for presence of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and liver fibrosis. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diabetes is associated with the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, including its more severe manifestations of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma .<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Stages of NAFLD (Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease)<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NAFLD starts with the build-up of fat cells in the liver, which usually doesn\u2019t hamper its function. You may not realize when this happens because there are rarely symptoms. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fatty liver can be prevented from getting worse if it is detected on time and if you make lifestyle changes to avoid it. If left untreated, it can progress to NAFLD.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After NAFLD, the condition can worsen to cause non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), where the liver stores extra fat. These fat deposits cause inflammation of the liver tissue. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With time, the liver tissue gets damaged because of persistent inflammation. Nearly<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.journal-of-hepatology.eu\/article\/S0168-8278(19)30393-9\/fulltext\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 4 out of 10 patients<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with type 2 diabetes have NASH. As it heals, it forms scar tissue called fibrosis. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This scar tissue is tough and causes the liver tissue to shrink. But it is still able to function normally.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most severe stage is cirrhosis, where years of fibrosis deforms the liver, making it hard and lumpy. This permanent damage leads to liver failure and liver cancer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>What Are the Causes of NAFLD?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NAFLD has been seen in people who struggle with:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Obesity or overweight: People who carry a large amount of fat around their middle, with a wide abdominal girth or a characteristic apple-shaped body, are more at risk.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Type 2 Diabetes, who have trouble regulating their blood sugar levels.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Insulin Resistance: Their bodies do not utilize insulin well. Insulin is a hormone that helps absorb glucose into our body cells. With insulin resistance, the glucose cannot be used up by the body, leaving high blood sugar levels in the blood.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Polycystic ovarian syndrome.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Underactive thyroid gland.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High cholesterol.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Elevated blood pressure<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Smoking.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Metabilic syndrome (a combination of hypertension, obesity, and diabetes)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In rare cases, children are also diagnosed with NAFLD because of a<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41575-019-0212-0\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> genetic defect <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that caused them to inherit the disease.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>What Are the Symptoms of NAFLD?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During the early stages of the disease, it is challenging to detect<\/span><b> NAFLD symptoms.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fatty liver may be seen on a sonogram, or you may have increased liver enzymes in your blood tests while investigating any other illness or symptom or even during a routine health check.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As NAFLD becomes worse, the liver enters a stage of fibrosis. At this point, <\/span><b>NAFLD causes:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dull aching pain on the upper right side of your stomach\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fatigue and weakness<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sudden weight loss that can\u2019t be explained\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nausea and vomiting<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most advanced stage of NAFLD is liver cirrhosis, when the liver\u2019s entire structure is damaged. As a result, it cannot function properly, which is why bile builds up in the blood and body. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease symptoms<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> include yellowing of the skin and eyes (commonly known as jaundice) and swelling in your legs and ankles (edema).<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>How Do We Diagnose NAFLD?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A blood test can help detect elevated liver enzyme levels, which indicate that the liver tissue is damaged. In addition, we can do other tests for liver diseases like hepatitis to rule out any other causes of inflammation in the liver.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A liver ultrasound can help your doctor assess the amount of extra fat in your liver.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Transient elastography (Fibroscan)measures how stiff your liver is. Stiffness indicates larger areas of fibrosis and scarring, which means more liver damage.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Doctors recommend that young people with NAFLD or diabetes and metabolic syndrome get an ultrasound scan of their liver every three years.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A liver biopsy is an invasive test that removes a tiny sliver of liver tissue with a needle inserted into the right side of your abdomen with the help of a sonogram. The sample is studied under a microscope for signs of liver damage. Studies show that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.journal-of-hepatology.eu\/article\/S0168-8278(19)30393-9\/fulltext\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">17% of people<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with NAFLD and type 2 diabetes have advanced fibrosis on liver biopsy.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A CT scan or MRI may also help with a<\/span><b> NAFLD diagnosis.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>How Do We Treat NAFLD?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While no specific medications can help with <\/span><b>NAFLD treatment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, your doctor may look at other health issues contributing to the disease. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, your doctor may prescribe medicines for diabetes, high blood sugar, thyroid disease, and high cholesterol. In severe cases, you may have to undergo a liver transplant if your liver fails.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Lifestyle Habits to Combat Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Changing your diet and activity levels can control your sugar, blood pressure, and weight. These are all risk factors for NAFLD. By adopting a healthier lifestyle, you can manage NAFLD successfully.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Studies show that losing just <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.harvard.edu\/blog\/weight-loss-can-help-head-off-lasting-damage-caused-by-fatty-liver-2020043019664\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10% of your body weight<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can reduce liver fat and inflammation in the liver tissue. A steady exercise regimen with a balanced diet rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables but low in fat and sugar can lead to good results.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Summary<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At Fitterfly, we understand the importance of reasonable control over sugar levels and weight. Our customized, evidence-based <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/diabefly\">diabetes management program<\/a> offer just the right support if you want to bring about lasting changes in your lifestyle. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/\">website<\/a> for more information. Or call us on <a href=\"tel: 022 4897 1077\">022 4897 1077<\/a> (Ext 1)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Recent studies show that one in every two patients with type 2 diabetes also has NAFLD. With such high risks of complications, you may wonder, what is NAFLD? And how can we avoid it?\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":5844,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,18,400],"tags":[435],"acf":{"reviewed_by":false,"references":null,"author":[27],"table_content":null,"medically_reviewed":"Dr. Vidya Walinjkar","show_updated_date_in_post":"No","faq_list":null,"custom_schema":"","media_url":"","reviewer":null},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5843"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5843"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5843\/revisions"}],"acf:user":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5843"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5843"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}