Photo: Lina Kivaka

How do you rule out a fatty liver?

jamanetwork.com - Testing for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - JAMA Network

Can stress cause diabetes?

Stress doesn't cause diabetes but it can affect your blood sugar levels and how you look after your condition. Having diabetes to manage on top of...

Last updated Aug 31, 2020

How can you speed up detoxing your body?

To Aid Your Recovery, Here Are Seven Tips to Help You Detox from Drugs and Alcohol Check into a certified detox center. Quitting drugs cold turkey...

Last updated Jun 24, 2019

Purple mojito “devours” 57lbs of flab?

This effective juice jolts the metabolism, boosts energy and burns fat all day.

Learn More »

Promotion

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) refers to fatty accumulation and inflammation of the liver that affects people who drink little to no alcohol.

What Is Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease?

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) describes fatty accumulation and inflammation in liver cells from any cause other than alcohol use. Over time, this liver inflammation can progress to more severe liver function disturbances, called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is the accumulation of fat in the liver that then causes fibrosis (scarring) of the liver, which can lead to cirrhosis when scar tissue replaces liver cells, causing the liver to stop functioning normally. If severe enough, cirrhosis can lead to death. The exact cause of NAFLD is unknown, although risks are higher for patients with obesity and metabolic syndrome, which is a group of health conditions that includes increased abdominal fat, poor response to insulin (diabetes), high blood pressure (hypertension), and high blood lipids (dyslipidemia, such as high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides). In some cases, patients can have NAFLD and not be obese or have metabolic syndrome.

Who Should Be Tested for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease?

Because most patients with NAFLD have no symptoms, testing is usually recommended for people who are overweight and whose blood tests show high liver enzyme levels, suggesting possible liver inflammation. The diagnosis is made after excluding other causes of liver inflammation, so the purpose of testing is both to assess the severity of liver inflammation and to exclude other potential causes of liver inflammation, such as gallstones or a viral infection. Testing for NAFLD in people without any preexisting conditions or signs of liver inflammation is not recommended because of the very low likelihood of finding NAFLD and the potential risk of finding abnormalities that ultimately prove to be unimportant but that could lead to unnecessary tests and potentially harmful interventions performed.

Tests to Diagnose NAFLD

Three major types of tests are used to diagnose NAFLD: (1) blood tests such as liver function tests that measure inflammation of the liver; (2) tests to visualize the appearance of the liver, such as ultrasound, computed tomographic (CT) scan, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); and (3) newer tests that quantify the amount of fat in the liver, such as transient elastography, an ultrasound-based test that measures how stiff the liver is. However, when the liver has a great deal of fat, these ultrasound-based tests may not be very reliable for diagnosing more advanced liver disease, such as NASH and liver fibrosis. If there is a suspicion of advanced liver disease or some other cause of liver problems, a liver biopsy may be recommended, in which a small piece of liver is obtained using a needle inserted through the skin into the liver.

What happens if you don't dry yourself after a shower?

Dr. James says any time there's an increased presence of moisture (like when you're not fully dry after a shower) can create a potential breeding...

Last updated May 12, 2022

What foods trigger gut issues?

Beware gut symptom triggers Some people find particular foods cause them problems. Acidic foods, such as tomatoes, citrus fruits, salad dressings...

Last updated Dec 31, 2018

Traditional “juice” activates 24/7 fat-burning

A scrumptious morning smoothy based on the diets of among the healthiest, longest-living hamlet in the world.

Learn More »

Promotion

Treatment of NAFLD

No specific medications are available to treat NAFLD. However, increased physical activity; improved diet; medications to control blood glucose, blood pressure, and blood lipids; and, in select cases, weight-loss surgery may slow and sometimes reverse progression of NAFLD.

Box Section Ref ID

For More Information National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/liver-disease/nafld-nash

JAMA. The information and recommendations appearing on this page are appropriate in most instances, but they are not a substitute for medical diagnosis. For specific information concerning your personal medical condition, JAMA suggests that you consult your physician. This page may be photocopied noncommercially by physicians and other health care professionals to share with patients. To purchase bulk reprints, email The JAMA Patient Page is a public service of. The information and recommendations appearing on this page are appropriate in most instances, but they are not a substitute for medical diagnosis. For specific information concerning your personal medical condition,suggests that you consult your physician. This page may be photocopied noncommercially by physicians and other health care professionals to share with patients. To purchase bulk reprints, email reprints@jamanetwork.com

Back to top Article Information

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported.

Sources: Rinella ME. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a systematic review. JAMA. 2015;313(22):2263-2273.

Chalasani N, Younossi Z, Lavine JE, et al. The diagnosis and management of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: practice guidance from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. Hepatology. 2018;67(1):328-357.

jamanetwork.com - Testing for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - JAMA Network

Are blueberries good for adrenal fatigue?

Since blueberries contain antioxidants that have been proven to increase natural killer cells, supplementation may help in adrenal fatigue recovery...

Last updated Apr 4, 2018