FATTY LIVER AND POTENTIAL RISKS IF LEFT UNTREATED

I. WHAT IS FATTY LIVER?

Fatty liver is a condition in which fat accumulates in the liver, accounting for more than 5% of the liver's weight.

II. IS NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE DANGEROUS?

Many patients do not drink alcohol, have no hepatitis B or C in their blood tests, and only have fatty liver on regular ultrasounds, so they feel secure about their livers, but they do not know that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a potentially dangerous concern because 20%-25% of patients with fatty liver disease are at risk of developing chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer if we do not monitor and treat it.

III. WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF FATTY LIVER DISEASE?

Fatty liver can cause pain in the right flank, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain, etc. Most cases of fatty liver often have no typical symptoms, so they are detected late, especially in young children. Most cases of fatty liver are detected through ultrasound during health check-ups.

IV. CAUSES OF FATTY LIVER DISEASE:

The main cause of fatty liver is a diet high in sugar such as drinking milk tea, soft drinks, energy drinks, eating a lot of sweet fruits (bananas, ripe mangoes...), drinking fruit juices, especially grapefruit juice. In addition, some children have metabolic diseases, Wilson's disease, diabetes, etc.

V. HOW TO DIAGNOSE FATTY LIVER ACCURATELY?

Blood tests, liver enzymes AST, ALT, GGT, liver ultrasound and most importantly FibroScan measurement to assess fibrosis and fatty liver to determine mild, moderate, severe liver fat to monitor treatment.

FibroScan measures liver fibrosis and fatty liver

VI. WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE WITH FATTY LIVER EAT?

Not drinking alcohol is good, but limiting starch and sweet foods is equally important. Increasing foods that help reduce blood fat such as garlic, bean sprouts, ripe tomatoes, oranges, and sea fish because they contain many antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium, and eating lots of vegetables in main meals, limiting foods high in iron such as beef and egg yolks because they can easily cause iron to accumulate in the body and liver, etc. At the same time, increasing physical activity is necessary.

Green tea and coffee in moderation can reduce the formation of cirrhosis, slowing the progression of the disease.

The liver is like a “factory” that processes the food we consume into nutrients and energy needed by the body. Therefore, improper nutrition can make liver disease worse. When sick, eating properly is also considered a non-drug treatment method.

VII. DOES FATTY LIVER NEED MONITORING AND TREATMENT?

Fatty liver disease requires treatment monitoring and regular checks of liver fat levels using the FibroScan machine. Regular blood tests and ultrasounds are also necessary for doctors to adjust medications.

If you want to follow up with a specialist in Gastroenterology and Hepatobiliary Medicine in Ho Chi Minh City, you should go to a reputable clinic with a team of doctors with many years of experience in monitoring and treating diseases. This place is also fully equipped with modern machinery - Dai Phuoc General Clinic.

Associate Professor, Dr. Hoang Anh Vu and Associate Professor, Dr. Phan Thi Xinh

Head of Molecular Biomedical Sciences Department - University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City

You will be given a FibroScan to help quantify liver fibrosis and fatty liver.

CT Scanner with contrast injection for early cancer screening when abnormalities are present.

Contrast CT Scanner

In addition, when chronic liver disease, the risk of accompanying gastric disease is common, so you can rest assured with the digestive endoscopy center in Dai Phuoc, which has a team of leading endoscopists from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, modern equipment, capable of magnifying NBI for early cancer screening, and painless digestive endoscopy to help you feel secure and comfortable.

Experienced team of doctors, endoscopy system with electronic staining function, combined with magnification of small lesions to identify cases of dysplasia and early stage cancer.