Highlights
- Hepatic steatosis (also called fatty liver disease) occurs when extra fat is stored in the liver.
- There are two types of fatty liver seizure — alcohol-related and nonalcohol-related.
- Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) ranges from mild to severe.
- Chronic conditions like diabetes or high cholesterol may increase your risk of NAFLD.
- The best way to prevent NAFLD is to live a healthy lifestyle and to carefully manage your chronic conditions.
- Find the best price for your medications with BidRx.
Hepatic steatosis, also known as “fatty liver disease,” is a condition caused by excess fat being stored in the liver. Hepatic steatosis is the most common cause of chronic liver disease across the globe.
Hepatic Steatosis Types
It’s normal for your liver to have a small percentage of fat. Hepatic steatosis occurs when liver fat accounts for more than five percent of your liver’s total weight.
There are two types of fatty liver disease:
- Alcohol-related fatty liver disease. This term describes fatty liver disease related to alcohol consumption. It’s also referred to as alcoholic fatty liver disease.
- Non-alcohol related fatty liver disease. This term describes fatty liver disease that isn’t related to alcohol use. It’s also referred to as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Hepatic Steatosis Symptoms
Many people living with fatty liver disease don’t have any symptoms until the disease has progressed or caused liver damage.
Potential symptoms include:
- Abdominal pain
- Fatigue or tiredness
- Yellowing skin or eyes (jaundice)
- Swelling in the legs or abdomen
- Unexplained weight loss
- Weakness
Hepatic Steatosis Causes and Risk Factors
The exact cause of hepatic steatosis is unknown. However, health care experts believe it’s linked to specific metabolic health conditions.
Hepatic steatosis is most common in middle-aged adults with one or more risk factors.
Risk factors include:
- Diabetes or prediabetes
- Hepatitis C
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- High cholesterol
- Insulin resistance
- Obesity
- Obstructive sleep apnea
Certain medications can contribute to fatty liver disease. The most common culprits include specific corticosteroids, antidepressants, and antipsychotic medications.
Hepatic Steatosis Diagnosis
Most cases of hepatic steatosis are found during routine blood tests. Your provider might suspect fatty liver disease if you have elevated liver enzymes. There are several tests your provider can order to confirm your diagnosis.
Common diagnostic tests include:
- Computed tomography (CT) scan
- Liver function tests
- Ultrasound or specialized ultrasounds
These tests help your provider to see how your liver is functioning, look for fat deposits, and look for scar tissue.
Liver Biopsy
A liver biopsy can help your provider confirm how far your liver disease has progressed. Your provider will use a needle to take a tissue sample from your liver. They will look at the sample under a microscope to determine your diagnosis.
Hepatic Steatosis Stages
Fatty liver disease presents on a spectrum. Some people live with the disease without any signs of progression or liver damage. Others go on to develop irreversible liver damage.
Fatty liver disease is categorized into four stages:
- Simple fatty liver disease. Simple fatty liver is NAFLD that hasn’t progressed to a more advanced stage. It’s characterized by excess fat without inflammation or scarring.
- Steatohepatits. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is characterized by excess fat and inflammation in the liver.
- Fibrosis. Fibrosis is characterized by chronic inflammation and scarring in the liver. Fibrosis can easily progress to cirrhosis if left untreated.
- Cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is characterized by inflammation and scarring that affects liver function. Cirrhosis is irreversible and can cause liver failure.
Hepatic Steatosis Complications
Fatty liver disease isn’t likely to cause complications unless it progresses beyond steatohepatitis. The most concerning complication of hepatic steatosis is cirrhosis.
Cirrhosis is permanent and puts significant strain on your liver function. If left untreated, cirrhosis can progress to liver cancer or liver failure.
Cirrhosis can also cause other worrying symptoms. This includes:
- Easily bruising or bleeding
- Extreme fatigue
- Fluid retention and swelling
- Jaundice
- Internal bleeding
- Mental confusion
- Muscle wasting
- Weight loss
Hepatic Steatosis Treatment
Healthy lifestyle changes are the first line of defense against fatty liver disease. The earlier you catch and start treating fatty liver disease, the better your odds at preventing progression will be.
Healthy Lifestyle Changes
There are a variety of lifestyle changes that can help you manage chronic conditions. This applies to managing fatty liver disease. Work with your provider to choose the best lifestyle changes for your treatment plan.
Lifestyle practices that support liver health include:
- Avoiding medications that harm your liver
- Eating a healthy diet
- Exercising regularly
- Limiting or avoiding alcohol
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Managing diabetes, cholesterol, and blood pressure.
Dietary Changes
If you have advanced stages of fatty liver disease, you may need to adopt a more restrictive diet. People with advanced liver disease or liver damage have a harder time processing proteins. This makes it difficult for your body to manage waste.
Dietary recommendations for people with liver disease include:
- Avoid uncooked shellfish
- Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and lean protein
- Limit trans fats and saturated fats
- Limit your salt intake
- Take only the vitamins or supplements recommended by your provider
- Reduce your intake of animal proteins
Medications
There are no medications approved to treat fatty liver disease. Researchers continue to work to identify the best clinical therapies for NAFLD. There are several clinical trials currently underway, but more research is needed before treatments can be approved.
Potential treatment options include:
- Vitamin E. Daily doses of the natural form of vitamin E (not synthetic) has been associated with improved liver function in patients with NASH.
- Leptin. The hormone leptin has shown promise at reducing liver fat in patients with NAFLD.
- Obeticholic acid (OCA). OCA treatment has been linked to improved liver function in patients with NASH.
Though there isn’t a medication approved to treat fatty liver disease, there are plenty of safe and effective medications approved for chronic conditions like diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Carefully managing these conditions can help to prevent the progression of fatty liver disease.
Cirrhosis Treatment Options
Intensive treatment is required once fatty liver disease has progressed to cirrhosis. Providers may need to use special medications or surgical procedures to treat cirrhosis. Liver transplants are the most invasive treatment used to treat the condition.
Hepatic Steatosis Prevention
The same methods of treating fatty liver disease can also be used to prevent it. Practicing healthy habits can help to prevent most chronic health conditions, including hepatic steatosis.
Experts recommend:
- Avoiding alcohol or limiting how much you drink
- Being physically active
- Losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight
- Managing any chronic health conditions you have
- Taking medications exactly as prescribed
- Talking to your provider about medications or supplements that might affect your liver
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