What Are the Causes of Fatty Liver?

Fatty liver disease is a fairly common condition that strikes thousands of people each year. It's as the name implies---a liver that's suffering from an excess of fat, or fat buildup. For most people it's a fairly innocuous condition that causes no symptoms, and is often diagnosed only when someone has tests done for other conditions. But left untreated, it can be dangerous.

Types

• There are two kinds of fatty liver disease---alcoholic steatohepatitis and NASH, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. The first is the most common and develops when someone develops liver damage through the abuse of alcohol. NASH is related to obesity and develops because of an overindulgence in high-calorie (and fatty) food.

Identification

• Fatty liver disease is easily diagnosed with the use of a blood test, and is often confirmed with either an ultrasound or CT scan. Sometimes a doctor will notice during a routine exam that the liver is enlarged or notice through blood tests that there is inflammation in the body. There can be other problems with the liver, so the doctor might request more tests to rule out other problems. To specifically diagnose liver disease, the doctor might order a liver biopsy.

Causes

• There are two primary causes of fatty liver disease---alcoholism and eating a diet full of fatty food or high-calorie food. Rarely do healthy people who eat a healthy diet develop liver disease. If you eat too many calories, fat can build up in the liver, and the liver can fail in its attempts to break down fats as it should. Fat will develop in the liver. Alcohol abuse can also cause this condition. Sometimes people who are malnourished or who have lost weight rapidly (such as after weight-loss surgery) will develop fatty liver disease as well.

Warning

• If untreated, the liver can become hardened and scarred. Called cirrhosis, the condition is serious and can lead to liver failure. Because there are few symptoms of liver disease, you might not exhibit any signs that you have fatty liver disease. If you are an alcoholic, or obese, it might be worth having a simple blood test to determine if fatty liver is a problem. Not knowing and leaving the liver untreated can be dangerous.

Prevention

• Preventing liver disease is as simple as not overindulging in alcohol and not eating a diet high in fat or calories. But if fatty liver disease is already a condition, it can be corrected. The liver can rejuvenate itself unlike any other organ in the body. If fatty liver disease is caused by obesity, losing weight and changing your diet can reverse the condition. Similarly, someone who abuses alcohol might be able to reverse the condition by simply not drinking and adopting a healthier lifestyle. Some supplements such as milk thistle may help the liver repair itself.