nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) describes a range of conditions that affect people who drink little or no alcohol. The mildest type is simple fatty liver (steatosis), an accumulation of fat within the liver that usually causes no liver damage. A potentially more serious type, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), is associated with liver-damaging inflammation and, sometimes, the formation of fibrous tissue. In some cases, this can progress to either cirrhosis, which causes progressive, irreversible liver scarring, or to liver cancer. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis can develop as a consequence of obesity and the metabolic syndrome. It is considered a "silent" disease, with most sufferers feeling well, in spite of inflammation and damage to the liver. But NASH can progress to cirrhosis in up to 20 percent of cases. With obesity becoming more prevalent in the U.S., the health care burden related to cirrhosis due to NASH is expected to rise. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease affects more women than men and is found in all age groups, including children. Most often, it's diagnosed in middle-aged people who are overweight or obese, and who may also have diabetes and elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels (hyperlipidemia).With the increasing incidence of obesity and diabetes in Western countries, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease has become a growing problem. Although its true prevalence is unknown, some estimates suggest it may already affect as many as one-third of American adults.One of the liver's jobs is clearing germs from the blood. Occasionally, however, the germs get the upper hand. A chronic infection by the hepatitis C virus is the most common cause of nonalcoholic cirrhosis in the United States. In most cases, it takes many years for the infection to lead to scarring. In rare cases, chronic infections of hepatitis B can also lead to cirrhosis. The virus that causes hepatitis A never sticks around long enough to cause cirrhosis.Some people can trace cirrhosis to an overactive immune system. For unknown reasons, they produce antibodies that attack liver cells as if they were intruders. The liver becomes damaged and inflamed, a condition known as autoimmune hepatitis. A good way to protect and help your liver is to use Liver Combo from Nepatica. Read more!