What Are the Treatments for Fatty Liver?

Fatty liver disease is exactly what the name implies--there is too much fat in your liver. With fatty liver disease, the excess fat in the liver cells can sometimes cause inflammation of the liver. According to the American Liver Foundation, alcohol abuse can cause this inflammation also, and in that case, it is called "steatohepatitis". If it is not a result of alcohol abuse, it is most often from the excess fat in the liver, and in this case, it is referred to as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH.

Causes and Complications

Fatty liver disease happens when your liver, which is the processing center for everything that enters your body, can not effectively process fats. The fat then stays in the liver. While this does happen, according to the Mayo Clinic, it is not always problematic. The complications arise when the liver becomes inflamed, as in NASH, which can lead to the inability of the liver to function and then ultimately, liver failure.

A few things that can lead to fatty liver are obesity, sedentary lifestyle, excessive dieting and abuse of alcohol or medications, both over the counter and prescription. There are no known absolute causes, but some of these factors are all common in those diagnosed with fatty liver.

Treatment

When you are diagnosed with fatty liver disease, the treatment options are limited. There is no specific prescription that will make it go away, although according to the American Association of Family Physicians, some improvement has been noted in fatty liver disease when patients were treated with certain statin drugs or diabetes medications, such as oristat and glucophage. Statin drugs are used for treating cholesterol, and glucophage is used to lower blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes.

The main course of treatment recommended by the physician will be lifestyle changes. The first, if you are overweight, will be to lose weight. The American Gastroenterological Association states that there are improvements in liver enzyme levels following weight loss, but it must be a slower weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week. (see resource 1) In fact, they state that rapid weight loss of more than 2.5 pounds per week actually makes the steatohepatitis condition worse and can lead to liver failure. Lose weight by doing moderate exercise for 30 minutes, 5 days a week, and by eating a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, high fiber and lean protein. Obviously, you don't want to consume too much fat because your liver is already unable to break it down.

Benefits of Lifestyle Changes

There is scientific evidence that supports why exercise needs to be part of your weight loss routine. Science Daily reports on a study performed by researchers at the University of Missouri that showed that regular exercise prevents fatty liver disease. On the other hand, the study also showed that when stopping the exercise, the symptoms of fatty liver disease re-appeared.

Losing weight and exercising will also help control blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and high levels of those can predispose you to fatty liver disease. Avoid alcohol and overuse of over-the-counter medications, as they can aggravate and worsen fatty liver disease.