Spare the exercise, spoil the liver

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Spare the exercise, spoil the liver

You have likely been warned about type-2 diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease as some of the conditions caused by obesity. But what about a fatty liver?

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common severe liver disease from which Americans suffer, and is the most prevalent liver disease among children. An estimated 1.6 million children are affected, according to Children’s Memorial Hospital’s Web site. But, most of them probably don’t realize they are ill.

Fatty liver is “typically associated with abnormal depositing of fat in liver cells,†said Dr. Prozialeck, a fellow in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at Children’s Memorial Hospital.

A fatty liver can lead to more serious liver ailments.

The liver serves a number of functions in the body. Its main purpose is to filter nutrients absorbed by the small intestine; making chemicals the body needs and expelling the harmful ones. Additionally, bile secreted by the liver helps the body digest fat.

Left untreated, fatty liver disease can lead to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, a fatty liver that is also inflamed and scarred—and at risk for cirrhosis.

“Long term concerns in adults include developing cirrhosis,†said Prozialeck. “That can lead to liver failure and the need for liver transplantation. There is also a concern of fat in the liver leading to liver cancer.â€

Currently, cirrhosis due to hepatitis-C drives the highest need for liver transplants. But, in the next 10 years the number of transplants stemming from fatty liver disease is expected to surpass that, according to Dr. Rinella, an assistant professor of medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

Generally these conditions do not produce any symptoms. “You can have cirrhosis and not know it,†Rinella said. This is a problem because, often, these complications aren't caught until it is too late and patients need liver transplants. And, in the case of obesity, patients can have other illnesses that might render them ineligible for a transplant.

And, there is no guarantee that being placed on a waiting list guarantees a patient will receive a new liver. Patients are ranked for a transplant in order of the severity of their conditions, meaning some might wait months for a transplant. But Rinella estimates that approximately 30 percent of those on the list won't survive to get a new organ.

There is no drug to treat fatty liver disease. “The most effective, safe way we know to have a positive impact on [fatty liver] is weight loss,†Rinella said. “The key is prevention.â€

http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=159276