Drinking Alcohol is considered as the major cause for fatty liver but, fatty liver may occur in non-alcoholic people. Fatty liver, caused in non alcoholic people is called as Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). This is a common disease which is asymptomatic, however, in some patients it can cause inflammation and scars in the liver.
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Causes
NAFLD is generally associated with metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance (metabolic syndrome is caused due to obesity, hyperlipidemia, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure)
Secondary Causes Include
NAFLD can also caused due to the following medication
Amiodarone
Antiviral drugs
Aspirin / NSAIDs
Corticosteroids
Methotrexate
Nifedipine
Perhexiline
Tamoxifen
Tetracycline
Valproic acid
Note: The above causes are given for the patients who are non-alcoholics or who consume less than 25ml/day (as per the standards)
Symptoms of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
- Most of the NAFLD patients do not have any symptoms but, some of the symptoms observed are fatigue, pain in the upper right abdomen and malaise.
- In rare cases mild jaundice may be noticed.
Risk Factors of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
A wide range of conditions and diseases can increase the risk of NAFLD, they include
Certain medication
Gastric bypass surgery
High cholesterol
High levels of triglycerides
Malnutrition
Metabolic syndrome
Obesity
Rapid weight loss
Toxins and chemicals
Type 2 diabetes
Wilson’s disease
Diagnosis For Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
As there are no exact symptoms to directly identify the Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, it can be identified using
Blood tests – Includes tests of liver enzymes
Imaging Procedures – Include ultrasound, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computerised Tomography (CT) scan
Liver Tissue Testing — If the doctor suspects a fatty liver, he may ask for liver tissue testing to check any signs of inflammation and scars. This is done using liver biopsy
