How is fatty liver treated in young people?

Written by Wu Peng
Gastroenterology
Updated on September 15, 2024
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Fatty liver can include alcoholic fatty liver and non-alcoholic fatty liver, with non-alcoholic fatty liver being common among young people. The treatment principles for these patients are: first, remove the cause and inducement, control the primary disease. Second, adjust the dietary plan, correct nutritional imbalances. Third, engage in physical exercise, primarily aerobic exercise, to control weight. Fourth, maintain normal blood lipids and blood sugar levels. Fifth, correct unhealthy behaviors, such as binge eating and lack of physical activity. Sixth, when necessary, take medications for liver protection, lipid reduction, and anti-fibrosis.

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Written by Tang Li
Cardiology
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Is hyperlipidemia fatty liver disease?

Hyperlipidemia and fatty liver are actually two different concepts. Hyperlipidemia is essentially dyslipidemia, which refers to abnormal quality and quantity of lipids in the plasma. The tests for blood lipids include total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. With our medical history, physical signs, and laboratory tests, diagnosing hyperlipidemia is not difficult. The current diagnostic criteria are mainly based on the 2017 Chinese guidelines for the prevention and treatment of dyslipidemia in adults, where low-density lipoprotein greater than 4.14 mmol/L suggests elevated low-density lipoprotein. Fatty liver, on the other hand, refers to excessive fat accumulation within liver cells due to various reasons, and is a common pathological change in the liver, rather than an independent disease. Patients with hyperlipidemia are prone to fatty liver.

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Written by Wu Hai Wu
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What is fatty liver?

Fatty liver is a pathological condition caused by excessive accumulation of fat in liver cells due to various reasons, which impairs the liver's normal functions. This is a relatively common liver pathology. Patients may experience symptoms like fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and discomfort in the upper right abdomen, primarily treated in the departments of gastroenterology and hepatology. The population at higher risk includes patients with diabetes, alcohol abuse, obesity, and those who have undergone excessive weight loss. Fatty liver can also occur during pregnancy. Patients may experience impaired liver function, and in severe cases, they may develop fatty liver hepatitis or fatty liver cirrhosis.

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Written by Shen Jiang Chao
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fatty liver CT manifestations

Fatty liver, also known as hepatic steatosis, is a metabolic and functional abnormality of the liver that leads to abnormal deposition of fat in liver cells. Fatty liver typically presents characteristic features on a CT scan, generally starting with a decrease in density. The reference standard for decreased density is based on the spleen. Normally, the CT value of the liver is greater than that of the spleen. If the CT value of the liver is lower than that of the spleen, it can be diagnosed as fatty liver. Some focal fatty liver changes can also be diagnosed by CT, mainly manifested by a decrease in density in a particular lobe or segment of the liver, but the blood vessels can still be normally visualized.

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Written by Si Li Li
Gastroenterology
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How to treat severe fatty liver?

The treatment of severe fatty liver is not significantly different from that of mild to moderate fatty liver in terms of medication. The main aspects of treating severe fatty liver include: Firstly, general treatment, which encompasses a healthy diet, appropriate exercise, weight control, and avoiding liver damage. Secondly, medication treatment: Due to large individual differences, there is no absolute, best, quickest, or most effective medication. Apart from using common over-the-counter drugs, it is important to select the appropriate medication based on individual circumstances. Additionally, surgical treatment options are available. For patients with severe obesity and type 2 diabetes, or for those with moderate cases but ineffective control of blood sugar through conservative treatment, weight loss surgery can be considered. Furthermore, combining treatment with traditional Chinese medicine and herbs can also yield excellent results for severe fatty liver.

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Written by Si Li Li
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Is moderate fatty liver serious?

Moderate fatty liver is considered a relatively severe condition, mainly caused by the excessive accumulation of fat tissue in the liver. Generally, moderate fatty liver can cause varying degrees of inflammatory changes in liver cells. It can be roughly divided into three stages: the first stage is simple fatty liver, the second stage is steatohepatitis, and the third stage is fatty liver fibrosis, also known as steatotic liver cirrhosis. Many factors can cause fatty liver, such as obesity, alcohol consumption, and drug toxicity. If a patient experiences indigestion, diarrhea, or loss of appetite, the possibility of fatty liver should be considered. It is advisable to visit a hospital for an upper abdominal CT scan or an abdominal ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis. The treatment mainly involves three aspects: removing the cause, dietary adjustment, and medication.