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What is Fatty Liver?
Definition
Fatty liver is a disease where in large triglyceride fats or fats from animals and vegetable oil are accumulated in the cells of the liver. The deposition happens through a process called steatosis or fatty degeneration wherein there is an abnormal retention of lipids in the cell. This disease is also called as fatty liver disease and the condition is reversible.
Many people associate liver diseases with excessive alcohol intake but there are cases wherein the fatty liver disease is not due to alcoholism but instead due to insulin resistance and some gastro-intestinal problems. This is called the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD.
Research shows that fatty liver disease mostly affects the Caucasians and as much as 75 per cent affects the women however, in recent studies, it decreased to 50 per cent. Many account this for the alcoholic intake of most men these days. This condition does not choose a specific age group but there are studies that showed a great number of adolescents in the United States have the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Fatty Liver Causes
There are a number of causes in fatty liver disease.
- Metabolic syndrome is the most common cause such as:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Obesity
- Alcoholism or excessive intake of alcohol.
- Hepatotoxic drugs such as tamoxifen, methotrexate and others.
- Metabolic abnormalities such as galactosemia, glycogen storage disease
- Problems with nutrition such as overnutrition, malnutrition, those who undergo TPN or total parenteral nutrition.
- Other metabolic problems such as Wilson disease or celiac disease
Fatty Liver Symptoms
Usually, fatty livers are asymptomatic in the beginning but as the condition progresses, symptoms can be observed such as:
- Ingestion or occasional heartburn or even a bloating feeling
- Increased blood pressure
- Food cravings such as sweets (this is for patients who are diabetic)
- Disorientation, mental fogginess,
- Headaches, migraine and even forgetfulness
- Bad breath or halitosis
- Fluid retention
Fatty Liver disease in Cats
Apart from human beings, cats or felines are also prone to fatty liver diseases. This is usually common in most geriatric cats. Cat’s liver is not as efficient as human’s liver to digest fats. Also, in older cats, it is believed that the way cats metabolize proteins and fats slowly degenerate. The pet owner will notice symptoms like:
- Cats become anorexic especially when the cat used to be overweight
- The cat salivates too much and even vomits
- The owner may see the cats becoming jaundice or yellow colored skin or eyes
If the problem is caught early, the disease can be reversible. The veterinarian usually inserts a feeding tube into the esophagus. This is where cats will be fed with the nutrition it needs to make remedies for the problem. The owner will be given feeding equipments and formula to give to the cat.
Fatty Liver Differential Diagnosis
- Blood tests are taken to see whether hyperlipidemia occurs. This is the usual indicator for metabolic problems. Aside from the lipies, aminotransferase are collected to see whether there are alterations in the ALT or AST, the enzymes that are checked for liver problems
- Stool and itching. Sometimes, stools are collected to see if the stool is pale or there is steatorrhea, fat accumulation in the stool.
- Imaging studies such as CT scan, ultrasound or MRI can be ordered to have a visualization of what is happening in the liver. Presence of steatosis means that there is something wrong with the liver.
Fatty Liver Treatment and Cure
The treatment of fatty liver involves taking medicines, doing a lot of dietary changes and lifestyle modification.
Mediciation
- Cholesterol lowering medicines such as Artovastatin, pentoxifylline, gemfibrozil can be ordered by the physician to reduce the inflammation as well as lower the blood cholesterol.
- Orlistat can also be taken since it showed improvement in patient who uses this drug for several months.
- Vitamin E and ursodeoxycholic acid shows significant improvement in patients with fatty liver disease.
Fatty Liver Diet
- Foods high in fat should be avoided. The diet of fatty liver patients should be avoided r it can aggravate the problem.
- Weight loss should be the goal. Average loss will be about 1-2 pounds per week.
- If the patient is diabetic, it is important to stick to diabetic diet.
- If the condition is due to alcoholism, it is very important to avoid drinking liquids with alcoholic contents
Lifestyle and Exercise
Apart from dieting, it is important to improve the circulation and weight loss. Losing weight is essential not just to help the body become fit but it increases muscle mass and improves insulin sensitivity. This is important in metabolism.
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatty_liver
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/175472-overview
