The alarming rise of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease among the young, has got experts worried
Gone are the days when liver problem meant Hepatitis B and C, and cirrhosis of the liver was linked to years of alcohol abuse. Today, that association has changed. Now, Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as the leading problem. With World Liver Day on April 19, experts unanimously agree on what has got them worried...
WHAT IS IT?
Fatty liver simply means having extra fat in the organ. When this progresses, it’s called fatty liver disease. Obesity and consuming excess alcohol can cause it. However, what’s got doctors perturbed is NAFLD.
EPIDEMIC PROPORTIONS
NAFLD is an alarming health concern that has reached epidemic proportions, according to Dr Roy Patankar, gasteroenterologist, Zen Hospital, in the past five years, seeing the number of patients doubled in the 25 to 40 age group. He sees about 15 to 20 such cases per week. He warns that women have a higher risk of cirrhosis due to the disease than men because of complications arising of out of it and genetic reasons.
VARIOUS STAGES
In recent years, NAFLD has emerged as the number one liver problem. Fatty liver is a silent disease and shows no symptoms, says Dr Samir R Shah, hepatology, Global Hospital, adding, “We have done more than 300 liver transplants for our patients with NAFLD, whose liver became cirrhotic in the 50 to 60 age group.” There are four stages of NFALD — fatty liver (steatosis), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis and lastly, cirrhosis. The liver is affected by obesity, diabetes and cholesterol, so if you have any of these, then you have a reason to worry.
An unhealthy lifestyle can lead to the disease — iStock/ Dr_Microbe
NOT LIMITED TO THE OBESE ALONE
Earlier, doctors used to see cases of Hepatitis B and C, but they have witnessed a change in recent times, seeing a rise in cases of fatty liver disease especially, NAFLD, from the age of 25 plus, says Dr Viral Patrawala, consultant gastroenterologist, Kohinoor Hospital. He adds that though it’s related to obesity and diabetes, it’s not necessary that everyone who has these problems has NAFLD. When fatty liver goes unchecked, it can progress to the disease stage (progession varies individually). Also, even people with normal or even lesser than normal weight can develop fatty liver. This can be due to unhealthy food and genetics to some extent. Most of the patients are not aware that they have fatty liver. The red flags are raised when they go for a pre-employment check-up or a sonography.
NOT ENOUGH AWARENESS
Adequate knowledge is essential, which unfortunately, is not there amongst people. Once a person is diagnosed with fatty liver, regular monitoring with the help of a doctor is important. Our experts advise anyone above the age of 30, with a BMI of above 25 should get a blood test, liver function test or a sonography done to check for fatty liver. Dr Patankar also recommends ARFI (Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Imaging of the liver) scan.
TREATMENT
There’s some good news, though. Fatty liver is a reversible condition. Treatment involves making healthy lifestyle changes through diet and exercise. Dr Shah says, “Even if one loses five to 10 per cent of their extra body weight, it can take knock off the fat from the liver.” But one must check for early diagnosis and take charge of the situation before it progresses.
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