What are the symptoms of fatty liver? Is fatty liver serious?

Written by Huang Gang
Gastroenterology
Updated on January 18, 2025
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If you have fatty liver disease, the symptoms are essentially the same as those of chronic hepatitis B and C, which include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, aversion to oily foods, and fatigue. Additionally, patients with fatty liver disease may experience a sensation of swelling and pain in the liver area. At this point, further liver function tests such as measuring transaminase and bilirubin levels can be conducted, and performing a hepatobiliary ultrasound can definitively diagnose the condition. If the fatty liver is due to obesity, it is advisable to strictly control food intake and engage in active and reasonable exercise for weight loss, as fatty liver can be reversed. However, if the fatty liver is due to long-term excessive alcohol consumption, it is recommended to strictly quit smoking and drinking, combined with reasonable exercise and diet control, as fatty liver can also be reversed.

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Written by Si Li Li
Gastroenterology
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The Harm of Fatty Liver

There are many causes of fatty liver disease, and the degree of harm varies according to the different causes. Non-alcoholic fatty liver is closely related to metabolic syndrome and often occurs in diseases such as hyperlipidemia, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and hypertension. It can easily lead to reduced arterial elasticity and increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, or sudden death. Fatty liver can also exacerbate liver damage. Long-term fatty liver may lead to liver fibrosis and eventually cirrhosis. If combined with chronic hepatitis B or chronic hepatitis C, the progression to liver fibrosis may accelerate.

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Written by Huang Gang
Gastroenterology
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Can fatty liver be contagious?

Fatty liver has many causes, the most common being obesity, as well as alcohol; long-term excessive drinking can cause alcoholic fatty liver. Other causes include malnutrition or long-term excessive use of certain medications, including anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids, which can significantly damage the liver. Drugs used to lower blood lipids can also lead to fatty liver. Fatty liver is caused by these factors, not by an infection from a particular bacterium or virus, so it is not contagious. If you have fatty liver, it is recommended to exercise regularly under the guidance of a doctor. There are no shortcuts; only exercise can eliminate fatty liver.

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Written by Si Li Li
Gastroenterology
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What should be noted for mild fatty liver?

People with mild fatty liver also need to pay special attention to their diet. It is important to consume a light diet and avoid high-calorie and high-fat foods such as fatty meats, fried foods, and animal organs; these should be minimized in the diet and replaced with more fruits and vegetables. Additionally, it is recommended to increase physical activity, as exercise can metabolize fats and has a certain therapeutic effect on patients with fatty liver. Simultaneously, alcohol should be avoided, as it can damage liver cells. If a patient with fatty liver frequently consumes alcohol, it can exacerbate the condition and may also lead to elevated liver enzymes.

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Written by Wu Hai Wu
Gastroenterology
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How to treat fatty liver disease?

The treatment of fatty liver includes pharmacotherapy, surgical treatment, and dietary and lifestyle management. Since the occurrence of fatty liver is related to various factors, it is important to adhere to the principles of early detection, early diagnosis, early treatment, and comprehensive management. Active measures should be taken to treat the cause of the disease. For example, it is crucial to quit alcohol early, discontinue medications harmful to the liver, monitor the patient's weight, and actively encourage weight loss. In everyday pharmacotherapy, vitamins, B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin K, and folic acid can be used. Appropriate hepatoprotective medications can also be utilized. In severe cases, liver transplant surgery or weight loss surgery may be necessary.

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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.