Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common disease of the liver which occurs when fat is deposited (steatosis) in the liver due to causes other than excessive alcohol use. If NAFLD is severe, it can cause liver damage that is similar to the damage caused by drinking too much alcohol, but NAFLD is not caused by drinking alcohol. This sheet tells you more about NAFLD and how it can be managed.

 

Liver functions 

The liver is an organ in the upper right side of the belly (abdomen). It has many important functions. These include:

• Breaking down (metabolizing) proteins, carbohydrates and fats
• Making a substance called bile that helps break down fats
• Storing and releasing sugar (glucose) into the blood to give the body energy
• Removing toxins from the blood
• Helping with blood clotting 

Understanding NAFLD

• A healthy liver may contain some fat. However if too much fat builds up in the liver from nonalcoholic causes, this can lead to NAFLD.
• NAFLD can be mild, causing fatty liver (the liver has more fat than normal but usually does not harm the liver), or it can be more severe and show fat deposits along with worsening inflammation.
• This can cause non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH-the fatty liver becomes inflamed over time).
• Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the most extreme form of NAFLD and is a major cause of cirrhosis (scarring of the liver).
• This can eventually lead to liver failure or liver cancer.
• Most people have a good outcome if the condition is caught in its early stages. 

Causes and risk factors of NAFLD

Doctors do not know what causes NAFLD. However certain things make the problem more likely to happen.These include:

• Obesity
• Prediabetes or diabetes
• High levels of fat found in the blood (cholesterol and triglycerides)
• Being exposed to certain medicines  

Symptoms of NAFLD

Most people with NAFLD have no symptoms. If symptoms do occur, they can include:

• Tiredness
• Weakness
• Weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Belly pain and cramping
• Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), as well as dark urine, or light-colored stools
• Swelling in the belly or legs 

Diagnosing NAFLD

• Your healthcare provider may think you have NAFLD if routine blood tests show high levels of liver enzymes. This may mean you have a liver problem.
• You may need one or more imaging tests such as an ultrasound, CT or MRI.
• You may need more blood tests to look for other causes of liver disease. 
• You may also need a liver biopsy. During this test, a hollow needle is used to remove a tiny tissue sample from your liver. This tissue is then checked in a lab. This test can find signs of damage to liver tissue. It can also help determine the extent of liver damage. 

Treating NAFLD

• Treatment for NAFLD varies for each person. The best early treatment is to treat any underlying conditions contributing to metabolic syndrome.
• Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that when occurring together, increase your risk of heart disease and other health problems.
• Metabolic syndrome is associated with increased fat in the liver.

Conditions included in metabolic syndrome are the following:

• High blood pressure
• High levels of cholesterol and triglycerides
• Being overweight or obese
• Diabetes 

Your healthcare provider will monitor your health and treat any symptoms or underlying health problems you have. Your provider will also work with you to control your risk factors. This will make liver damage less likely. 

In fact, treating those underlying conditions can often improve liver disease. You may need to take certain medicines, but no medicine will cure NAFLD. This is why treating the underlying conditions is most important. Your plan may include:

• Losing extra weight
• Getting regular exercise
• Controlling diabetes and high cholesterol or triglyceride levels
• Taking medicines and vitamins as prescribed by your provider
• Quitting smoking
• Not drinking alcohol
• Eating a healthy and balanced diet 

Living with NAFLD

If NAFLD is caught early, it can be managed with treatment. Your healthcare provider will discuss further treatment choices with you as needed. 

Be sure to ask your provider about recommended vaccines. These include vaccines for viruses that can cause liver disease.

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common disease of the liver which occurs when fat is deposited (steatosis) in the liver due to causes other than excessive alcohol use. If NAFLD is severe, it can cause liver damage that is similar to the damage caused by drinking too much alcohol, but NAFLD is not caused by drinking alcohol. This sheet tells you more about NAFLD and how it can be managed.

 

Liver functions 

The liver is an organ in the upper right side of the belly (abdomen). It has many important functions. These include:

• Breaking down (metabolizing) proteins, carbohydrates and fats
• Making a substance called bile that helps break down fats
• Storing and releasing sugar (glucose) into the blood to give the body energy
• Removing toxins from the blood
• Helping with blood clotting 

Understanding NAFLD

• A healthy liver may contain some fat. However if too much fat builds up in the liver from nonalcoholic causes, this can lead to NAFLD.
• NAFLD can be mild, causing fatty liver (the liver has more fat than normal but usually does not harm the liver), or it can be more severe and show fat deposits along with worsening inflammation.
• This can cause non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH-the fatty liver becomes inflamed over time).
• Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the most extreme form of NAFLD and is a major cause of cirrhosis (scarring of the liver).
• This can eventually lead to liver failure or liver cancer.
• Most people have a good outcome if the condition is caught in its early stages. 

Causes and risk factors of NAFLD

Doctors do not know what causes NAFLD. However certain things make the problem more likely to happen.These include:

• Obesity
• Prediabetes or diabetes
• High levels of fat found in the blood (cholesterol and triglycerides)
• Being exposed to certain medicines  

Symptoms of NAFLD

Most people with NAFLD have no symptoms. If symptoms do occur, they can include:

• Tiredness
• Weakness
• Weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Belly pain and cramping
• Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), as well as dark urine, or light-colored stools
• Swelling in the belly or legs 

Diagnosing NAFLD

• Your healthcare provider may think you have NAFLD if routine blood tests show high levels of liver enzymes. This may mean you have a liver problem.
• You may need one or more imaging tests such as an ultrasound, CT or MRI.
• You may need more blood tests to look for other causes of liver disease. 
• You may also need a liver biopsy. During this test, a hollow needle is used to remove a tiny tissue sample from your liver. This tissue is then checked in a lab. This test can find signs of damage to liver tissue. It can also help determine the extent of liver damage. 

Treating NAFLD

• Treatment for NAFLD varies for each person. The best early treatment is to treat any underlying conditions contributing to metabolic syndrome.
• Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that when occurring together, increase your risk of heart disease and other health problems.
• Metabolic syndrome is associated with increased fat in the liver.

Conditions included in metabolic syndrome are the following:

• High blood pressure
• High levels of cholesterol and triglycerides
• Being overweight or obese
• Diabetes 

Your healthcare provider will monitor your health and treat any symptoms or underlying health problems you have. Your provider will also work with you to control your risk factors. This will make liver damage less likely. 

In fact, treating those underlying conditions can often improve liver disease. You may need to take certain medicines, but no medicine will cure NAFLD. This is why treating the underlying conditions is most important. Your plan may include:

• Losing extra weight
• Getting regular exercise
• Controlling diabetes and high cholesterol or triglyceride levels
• Taking medicines and vitamins as prescribed by your provider
• Quitting smoking
• Not drinking alcohol
• Eating a healthy and balanced diet 

Living with NAFLD

If NAFLD is caught early, it can be managed with treatment. Your healthcare provider will discuss further treatment choices with you as needed. 

Be sure to ask your provider about recommended vaccines. These include vaccines for viruses that can cause liver disease.

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common disease of the liver which occurs when fat is deposited (steatosis) in the liver due to causes other than excessive alcohol use. If NAFLD is severe, it can cause liver damage that is similar to the damage caused by drinking too much alcohol, but NAFLD is not caused by drinking alcohol. This sheet tells you more about NAFLD and how it can be managed.

 

Liver functions 

The liver is an organ in the upper right side of the belly (abdomen). It has many important functions. These include:

• Breaking down (metabolizing) proteins, carbohydrates and fats
• Making a substance called bile that helps break down fats
• Storing and releasing sugar (glucose) into the blood to give the body energy
• Removing toxins from the blood
• Helping with blood clotting 

Understanding NAFLD

• A healthy liver may contain some fat. However if too much fat builds up in the liver from nonalcoholic causes, this can lead to NAFLD.
• NAFLD can be mild, causing fatty liver (the liver has more fat than normal but usually does not harm the liver), or it can be more severe and show fat deposits along with worsening inflammation.
• This can cause non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH-the fatty liver becomes inflamed over time).
• Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the most extreme form of NAFLD and is a major cause of cirrhosis (scarring of the liver).
• This can eventually lead to liver failure or liver cancer.
• Most people have a good outcome if the condition is caught in its early stages. 

Causes and risk factors of NAFLD

Doctors do not know what causes NAFLD. However certain things make the problem more likely to happen.These include:

• Obesity
• Prediabetes or diabetes
• High levels of fat found in the blood (cholesterol and triglycerides)
• Being exposed to certain medicines  

Symptoms of NAFLD

Most people with NAFLD have no symptoms. If symptoms do occur, they can include:

• Tiredness
• Weakness
• Weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Belly pain and cramping
• Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), as well as dark urine, or light-colored stools
• Swelling in the belly or legs 

Diagnosing NAFLD

• Your healthcare provider may think you have NAFLD if routine blood tests show high levels of liver enzymes. This may mean you have a liver problem.
• You may need one or more imaging tests such as an ultrasound, CT or MRI.
• You may need more blood tests to look for other causes of liver disease. 
• You may also need a liver biopsy. During this test, a hollow needle is used to remove a tiny tissue sample from your liver. This tissue is then checked in a lab. This test can find signs of damage to liver tissue. It can also help determine the extent of liver damage. 

Treating NAFLD

• Treatment for NAFLD varies for each person. The best early treatment is to treat any underlying conditions contributing to metabolic syndrome.
• Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that when occurring together, increase your risk of heart disease and other health problems.
• Metabolic syndrome is associated with increased fat in the liver.

Conditions included in metabolic syndrome are the following:

• High blood pressure
• High levels of cholesterol and triglycerides
• Being overweight or obese
• Diabetes 

Your healthcare provider will monitor your health and treat any symptoms or underlying health problems you have. Your provider will also work with you to control your risk factors. This will make liver damage less likely. 

In fact, treating those underlying conditions can often improve liver disease. You may need to take certain medicines, but no medicine will cure NAFLD. This is why treating the underlying conditions is most important. Your plan may include:

• Losing extra weight
• Getting regular exercise
• Controlling diabetes and high cholesterol or triglyceride levels
• Taking medicines and vitamins as prescribed by your provider
• Quitting smoking
• Not drinking alcohol
• Eating a healthy and balanced diet 

Living with NAFLD

If NAFLD is caught early, it can be managed with treatment. Your healthcare provider will discuss further treatment choices with you as needed. 

Be sure to ask your provider about recommended vaccines. These include vaccines for viruses that can cause liver disease.