Does fatty liver disease transmit?

Written by Zhu Dan Hua
Gastroenterology
Updated on September 01, 2024
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Fatty liver is relatively common in clinical practice. It is not an infectious disease and is not contagious. Fatty liver is generally considered to be caused by various reasons leading to fat deposition in the liver. Usually, there are no specific symptoms. Some patients may experience pain, dull pain, or discomfort in the upper right abdomen, along with nausea, etc. Typically, patients discover they have fatty liver during a physical examination or incidental liver function tests and abdominal ultrasound that indicate changes due to fatty liver. The general principle of treatment is symptomatic management. If liver function is abnormal, hepatoprotective treatment can be considered. Of course, if liver function is normal and it's purely fatty liver, the main approach is adjusting dietary and lifestyle habits. It is advised that patients consume high-quality proteins and reduce intake of greasy, fatty, low-fat, and low-sugar foods. Maintaining a good mental state, appropriately reducing weight, and exercising can cure mild fatty liver. If there is severe fatty liver, it is recommended that patients visit a local hospital for treatment.

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Written by Wu Peng
Gastroenterology
1min 10sec home-news-image

The best method to eliminate fatty liver.

For the treatment of fatty liver, the general treatment first needs to identify the cause. For example, patients who drink alcohol excessively need to quit drinking; patients who are obese due to excessive nutrition should control their diet to help return their weight to normal; patients with concurrent diabetes should actively and effectively control their blood sugar; patients with malnutrition-related fatty liver should appropriately increase their nutrition intake, especially of proteins and vitamins. Secondly, adjust the dietary structure by appropriately increasing the intake of proteins and fiber while aiming for a low-sugar, low-fat diet. Minimize consumption of animal fats and eat more vegetables, fruits, foods rich in fiber, and high-protein foods, such as lean meats, fish, and soy products. Most importantly, increase physical exercise to promote the consumption of fats within the body. Aerobic exercises, such as jogging, cycling, swimming, and jumping rope, should be the exercises of choice.

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Written by Si Li Li
Gastroenterology
1min 12sec home-news-image

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.

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Written by Shen Jiang Chao
Radiology
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Fatty liver MRI manifestations

Fatty liver, also known as hepatic steatosis, typically appears normal in most cases on MRI. However, a minority of cases may show high signals on T1 and T2. In fat-suppressed sequences, the high signals disappear after the fat is suppressed, appearing as low signal shadows. MRI has a specific sequence for examining fatty liver, known as the dual-echo sequence, which includes two sequences: one is the in-phase sequence and the other is called the opposed-phase sequence. The in-phase sequence examines the liver parenchyma, while a characteristic feature in the opposed-phase sequence is the significant decrease in signal in areas of fatty metamorphosis.

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Written by Wu Peng
Gastroenterology
1min 22sec home-news-image

Complete Recipe Collection for Fatty Liver Diet

Fatty liver disease currently has a high incidence rate in our country. If dietary habits are not modified, it can further damage the liver. To prevent the progression of fatty liver disease, it is necessary to pay attention to the following aspects of diet. Firstly, reduce the intake of sucrose and honey. For foods high in sugar, such as vegetables and fruits, consume them in smaller quantities. Additionally, you can eat appropriate amounts of grains and increase the intake of vegetables and fruits that are low in sugar, which is beneficial for the recovery from fatty liver. Secondly, it is advisable to increase the intake of fish, dairy products, and eggs, as patients with fatty liver need to repair and regenerate liver cells, and consuming high-protein foods is beneficial for liver recovery. Thirdly, the intake of fatty meats and animal liver, which are high in cholesterol, should be controlled to prevent further damage to the liver. For example, animal liver contains a lot of cholesterol and should be consumed less frequently. Fourthly, it is necessary to supplement vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. Moreover, regular physical exercise should be performed.

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Written by Li Xue Qing
Gastroenterology
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What department should I visit for fatty liver?

Fatty liver is a disease that indicates a metabolic disorder and is considered a type of digestive system disease, as well as a liver disease. In top-tier hospitals, there is generally a hepatology department where one can seek treatment at their outpatient clinic. In slightly less equipped county-level secondary hospitals or third-tier hospitals, which do not have a hepatology outpatient clinic, one can visit the gastroenterology outpatient clinic. Additionally, basic health clinics, which do not have a gastroenterology outpatient clinic, require visiting a general internal medicine outpatient clinic.