No drug treatment.. Improvement through eating habits and exercise
People who have a belly and drink a lot of alcohol are prone to alcoholic fatty liver disease. Even if they are diagnosed with fatty liver, they take it as a ‘obvious result’ and think, ‘If I stop drinking, I won’t have any worries’.
If you are diagnosed with fatty liver even though you are thin and do not drink alcohol, it is easy to be perplexed and say, “Why me?” These people are increasing.
According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of patients with alcoholic fatty liver decreased from 120,000 in 2018 to 106,000 last year. The number of patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver increased from 310,000 to 400,000 during the same period. The male and female sex ratio of non-alcoholic fatty liver patients was similar.
A normal liver contains less than 5% fat. A condition in which more fat than this is accumulated is called fatty liver. Non-alcoholic fatty liver occurs when a lot of fat is eaten regardless of alcohol or when a lot of fat is synthesized in the liver and is not well excreted. It also occurs in cases of obesity, hyperlipidemia, or diabetes. Non-alcoholic fatty liver may progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
The increase in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is due to westernized eating habits, lack of exercise, lifestyle changes, and an increase in the obese population. While eating a lot of high-calorie meals, there are few opportunities to move the body, so the calories that are not consumed are stored in the liver.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver has no specific symptoms, and only some feel right upper abdominal discomfort and fatigue. When non-alcoholic fatty liver progresses to cirrhosis, various symptoms appear.
For non-alcoholic liver disease, radiological examination or liver biopsy is performed for patients who consume less than 210 g (about 3 bottles of soju) and 140 g (about 2 bottles of soju) of alcohol per week for men and negative hepatitis test. to diagnose Blood tests may show abnormal liver function. The most common finding is an increase in liver levels (AST/ALT) 2 to 5 times the normal level.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is more common in men in their 30s and 40s and in women in their 50s and 60s. For women, age and menopause are also important risk factors. Middle-aged patients need active management because they are also related to diabetes, cerebrovascular disease, and cardiovascular disease.
There is no drug treatment that has been proven effective for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Choi Hyuk-soo, head of internal medicine at Seran Hospital, said, “We need to control obesity and hyperlipidemia that accompany fatty liver and change our lifestyle through exercise.”
Director Choi continued, “You should also improve your eating habits so that you avoid overeating and take in balanced nutrients. Most patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver have a good course, but some can lead to cirrhosis or steatohepatitis, so weight loss and active management are necessary.” added.