Fatty liver is excessive fat accumulation in the liver (>5% of liver cells). Include:

• Non-alcoholic fatty liver
• Fatty liver due to secondary causes: alcohol, drugs, viruses…

Is Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Dangerous?

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a common cause of chronic liver disease, affecting 25% of the global population.

Among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, 12-14% of patients have nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is inflammation and damage to liver cells, which can lead to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, or liver cancer.

Risk Factors for Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is closely related to metabolic disorders, including:

• Overweight and obesity
• Hyperlipidemia
• Hypertension
• Insulin resistance
• Type 2 diabetes…

What Are the Symptoms of Fatty Liver?

Most cases of fatty liver have no symptoms and are often discovered incidentally through health checks, abdominal ultrasounds, and blood tests. Some signs clearly indicate when the disease has progressed to hepatitis or cirrhosis...

• Tired
• Loss of appetite and nausea
• Right upper quadrant abdominal pain, enlarged liver
• Yellow skin and eyes
• Ascites (fluid in the abdomen)…

Fatty liver can be prevented with a healthy lifestyle:

• Healthy diet: Add vegetables and fruits, and limit sugar and saturated fat...
• Exercise regularly: 30 minutes/day, 05 days/week, e.g. jogging, cycling...
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Limit alcohol
• Get vaccinations against the hepatitis virus
• Be careful when using functional foods, drugs, and herbs of unknown origin
• Control underlying diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia...

You should note that you need to have a general health check-up twice a year.