Could You Be At Risk? Understanding Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Could You Be At Risk? Understanding Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
21 March 2023 | Article is written by Dr Lee Wang Loong (Chief Medical Officer (Southern Region), BP Healthcare Group)
The liver plays an important role in processing nutrients, detoxifying harmful substances, and synthesising important substances for bodily functions. This organ lacks pain sensors, and as such, liver diseases are often not painful and can elude diagnosis for a long time. In this article, we will shed light on one of liver diseases – non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
What is Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease?
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition characterised by an increase (>5%) of fat in the liver not due to alcohol. It is a very common health concern among Malaysians, affecting:
- 22.7% health-check individuals (Goh SC, et al. Hepatol. Int 2013)
- 49.6% patients with diabetes mellitus (Chan WK, et al. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2013)
- 7.9% young adults (Chan WK, et al. Hepatol. Int 2014)
An increase in fat in the liver underpins the disease process of NAFLD
NAFLD is relatively benign but if left untreated, it may lead to a plethora of health complications such as liver failure and liver cancer. Despite this, the awareness regarding this disease remains very low, perhaps because it is usually asymptomatic in most cases.
Causes and Complications of NAFLD
The fat accumulation in the liver in cases of NAFLD occurs commonly with being overweight or having type 2 diabetes. Before committing to the diagnosis, a careful history taking and physical examination by a doctor is required to rule out alternative causes of fatty liver.
NAFLD exists as a spectrum of disease – beginning with fat deposits in the liver, progressing to liver scarring, liver failure and even liver cancer.
The disease process of fatty liver
NAFLD and its complications can be picked up via ultrasound scan.
Images showing a normal liver, fatty liver, scarred liver and liver cancer
Early detection and treatment may help to halt the disease progression of NAFLD. Blood tests per se may miss out on early NAFLD. Thus, we would highly encourage regular screening for those at risk of developing NAFLD by doing the following:
- Liver function test
- Alpha fetoprotein (AFP) - liver tumour marker
- Lipids and sugar profile
- Ultrasound liver
Hence, a more comprehensive screening involving multiple diagnostic modalities such as our signature Specialist Head2Toe Screening, combined with an in-depth discussion with one of our doctors, may help you stop NAFLD in its tracks.
Treatment and Maintenance
There are currently no medications to specifically treat NAFLD and thus, lifestyle modifications remain the main tenets of treatment. This can be achieved through a combination of healthy diet as well as increased physical activities, resulting in overall weight loss.
Weight loss is key!
A sustainable weight loss program is one that not only prioritises your health needs but also caters to your taste buds. It is definitely a tall order, but not completely out of reach.
Our licensed nutritionists have specially curated our Total Wellness Program that includes nutrition consultation, a body composition analysis as well as a few health supplements to make your weight loss journey much easier!
Remember that health is wealth. So, what are you waiting for? Take charge of your health with us at BP Healthcare, starting today.