NAFLD (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease) is a disorder in which fat accumulates in the liver. NAFLD that affects the liver is known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). When fat deposits in the liver cause inflammation (hepatitis) and scarring, NASH develops. According to a study, NASH affects 3% to 5% of the global population, even underdiagnosed.
Do you realize that even if you don’t consume alcohol, you can have liver disease?
In this post, Dr. Gaurav Gupta, a brilliant liver transplant surgeon from Mumbai, would like to answer these questions and provide his readers with knowledge about NASH.
NAFLD (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease) is a disorder in which fat accumulates in the liver. NAFLD that affects the liver is known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), says the surgeon.
When fat deposits in the liver cause inflammation (hepatitis) and scarring, NASH develops. According to a study, NASH affects 3% to 5% of the global population, even underdiagnosed.
What exactly is Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), and how does it affect a person?
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis is the inflammation and damage of the liver caused by fat accumulation (NASH). It’s a sort of fatty liver disease that isn’t caused by alcohol.
Many people have fat in their liver, but it usually does not cause any symptoms. In some people, fat, on the other hand, might promote inflammation and damage to liver cells. As a result of the injury, the liver does not operate as well as it should.
NASH can deteriorate and cause scarring in the liver, which can progress to cirrhosis. The situation, on the other hand, does not continually worsen.
NASH damages the liver in the same way as liver disease induced by excessive alcohol use does. NASH, on the other hand, occurs in those who do not consume alcohol.
What are the signs and symptoms of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)?
The patient will have no symptoms in the early stages of NASH. The majority of patients who have NASH are utterly ignorant of their condition.
If NASH continues, the damage to the liver worsens, causing symptoms such as fatigue, sudden weight loss, weakness, and pain in the upper right area of the abdomen.
It will take several years for NASH to evolve to the point where symptoms appear.
What causes Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)?
Experts are baffled as to why some people with fatty livers develop NASH while others do not. Specific environmental causes may cause inflammation in some people. Or it could be something that runs in their family.
A variety of factors can cause NASH and liver damage, including:
- Obesity
• Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
• Elevated cholesterol and triglycerides levels
• Metabolic syndrome
• Hypertension
Or it could be something that runs in their family.
Most NASH patients are in their 40s and 50s and have one or more of the diseases listed above. According to Dr. Gaurav Gupta, a Mumbai-based liver expert, NASH can develop in people who don’t have these risk factors.
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is diagnosed in a variety of ways.
NASH cannot be diagnosed with a single examination. A liver expert can inquire about the medical history of the patient.
The liver specialist can conduct particular tests to detect if fat is accumulating in the liver and ruling out other disorders, such as:
- Ultrasound
- Blood tests
- CT scan
- MRI scan
To diagnose NASH, the liver specialist may do a liver biopsy. The specialist takes a sample of liver tissue and examines it for symptoms of NASH during a liver biopsy.
What is the treatment for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)?
Managing symptoms that increase the risk of NASH or exacerbate it is an essential element of NASH treatment.
The patient is instructed and guided by the liver expert in the following areas:
- Controlling total cholesterol levels.
- Staying in a healthy weight range. If the patient’s BMI can be reduced to less than 25, it can significantly affect it.
- Diabetes management.
- Giving up or cutting down on alcohol intake.
- Exercising daily
In some circumstances, a liver specialist may recommend medications to help reduce or reverse NASH-related liver damage.
Severe liver damage may result in liver failure in certain NASH patients. A liver transplant is the only way for many people to live. According to Dr. Gaurav Gupta, a Mumbai-based liver transplant specialist, patients can live a healthy life after transplant if they consume a balanced diet and take recommended medications.