How to treat fatty liver disease?

Written by Wu Hai Wu
Gastroenterology
Updated on March 03, 2025
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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 Si Li Li
Gastroenterology
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What should I do about moderate fatty liver?

In cases of moderate fatty liver, it is essential to be very cautious about diet, strictly abstaining from smoking and drinking, and avoiding greasy foods. Additionally, engaging in appropriate physical exercise is advisable, ideally maintaining over half an hour of activity daily, which can boost immunity and prevent weight gain, potentially exacerbating the condition otherwise. Fatty liver is a reversible disease, but if not promptly addressed, it can progress to cirrhosis. Therefore, a light diet should be the primary focus, avoiding fried foods and high-fat foods, including animal organs. Regular follow-up visits to the hospital are also necessary.

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Written by Zhu Dan Hua
Gastroenterology
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Can fatty liver be cured?

Fatty liver is relatively common in clinical practice, often seen in obese patients or those who consume alcohol excessively. Fatty liver is also categorized as mild, moderate, or severe in clinical settings. Generally, mild fatty liver does not accompany liver function abnormalities. For such patients, the main approach involves appropriate weight loss, exercise, and dietary control. If there are indeed complications like cirrhosis or more severe liver disease, including abnormal liver functions, systematic diagnosis and treatment are recommended. Besides completing abdominal ultrasound and liver function tests, it is also suggested to conduct quantitative hepatitis B virus tests to eliminate the possibility of hepatitis B virus-induced steatosis. Generally, fatty liver can be treated successfully; however, if it is complicated by cirrhosis, the main principle of treatment is to prevent complications, and complete cure may not be possible. Therefore, regarding fatty liver, there is no need for excessive worry, but standard treatment should be followed. Particularly if the fatty liver is complicated by cirrhosis, active diagnosis and treatment are generally recommended.

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Written by Wu Peng
Gastroenterology
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Symptoms of fatty liver pain

Patients with severe fatty liver, if the condition is serious and there is excessive accumulation of fat in the liver, the liver capsule may be overly distended. This stretching of the liver ligaments can cause pain in the liver area. At this time, patients may feel intense pain or tenderness in the upper right abdomen, and sometimes rebound pain may also occur. When pain in the liver area appears in patients with fatty liver, it indicates that the condition has become very severe and requires active treatment. If the condition progresses further, it can lead to fatty liver, hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and even severe hepatitis or liver failure, which can greatly affect the patient's quality of life and life expectancy.

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Written by Shen Jiang Chao
Radiology
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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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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.