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Liver care tips for a healthy Liver
Obesity now seems to be the main trigger factor for liver diseases, as doctors in the city say that with a sedentary lifestyle obesity is on the rise and that is the main cause of liver disease.
With liver transplants bringing in a bill of between Rs. 12 to Rs. 30 lakh, on World Liver Day doctors emphasize the need for nipping the problem in the bud so that liver diseases can be prevented.
With the increase of obesity there seems to be a silent epidemic of non-alcoholic fatty liver problem, which gradually leads to severe liver damage.
With changing dietary habits and a sedentary lifestyle, more obese people are showing up with fatty liver disease.
Since the cost is so high when it comes to liver transplants, it is of utmost importance that the cause is tackled at the root. Most of the causes which lead to end stage liver disease like alcoholism, obesity or hepatitis are controllable factors. So it is essential that people are made aware of the triggers and how to prevent them.
The increasing problem of Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) occurs because of diversion of excess calories to synthesise fat in the liver and the inability of the liver to export the synthesised fat.
“Insulin resistance is the primary pathophysiology of this disorder. Excess fat in the liver causes inflammation, a stage called Non Alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) which is seen in around 25 per cent of NAFLD patients. Over time this inflammation causes progressive liver damage leading to cirrhosis and liver failure,” said Dr. Poorna Chandra, Consultant Gastroenterologist, Fortis Hospitals.
The pricy transplant procedures and the expenses incurred for being on immunosuppressant drugs for one’s whole life are so high, that doctors insist on the need to tackle the problem at its onset, so that it does not graduate to end-stage liver disease.
Some of the Common Liver Related Diseases
With liver transplants bringing in a bill of between Rs. 12 to Rs. 30 lakh, on World Liver Day doctors emphasize the need for nipping the problem in the bud so that liver diseases can be prevented.
With the increase of obesity there seems to be a silent epidemic of non-alcoholic fatty liver problem, which gradually leads to severe liver damage.
With changing dietary habits and a sedentary lifestyle, more obese people are showing up with fatty liver disease.
Since the cost is so high when it comes to liver transplants, it is of utmost importance that the cause is tackled at the root. Most of the causes which lead to end stage liver disease like alcoholism, obesity or hepatitis are controllable factors. So it is essential that people are made aware of the triggers and how to prevent them.
The increasing problem of Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) occurs because of diversion of excess calories to synthesise fat in the liver and the inability of the liver to export the synthesised fat.
“Insulin resistance is the primary pathophysiology of this disorder. Excess fat in the liver causes inflammation, a stage called Non Alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) which is seen in around 25 per cent of NAFLD patients. Over time this inflammation causes progressive liver damage leading to cirrhosis and liver failure,” said Dr. Poorna Chandra, Consultant Gastroenterologist, Fortis Hospitals.
The pricy transplant procedures and the expenses incurred for being on immunosuppressant drugs for one’s whole life are so high, that doctors insist on the need to tackle the problem at its onset, so that it does not graduate to end-stage liver disease.
Some of the Common Liver Related Diseases
- Hepatitis: inflammation of the liver, caused mainly by various viruses but also by some poisons
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A spectrum in disease, associated with obesity and characterized as an abundance of fat in the liver
- Cirrhosis of the Liver: This is the formation of fibrous tissue in the liver from replacing dead liver cells. Diagnosis is done by checking levels of Alanine transaminase and Asparatine transaminase (SGOT).
- Haemochromatosis: A hereditary disease causing the accumulation of iron in the body, eventually leading to liver damage.
- Cancer of the liver: Primary hepatocellular carcinoma or cholangiocarcinoma and metastatic cancers, usually from other parts of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Wilson’s disease: A hereditary disease which causes the body to retain copper.
- Budd-Chiari syndrome: Obstruction of the hepatic vein.
- Gilbert’s syndrome: A genetic disorder of bilirubin metabolism, found in about 5% of the population
The best way to take preemptive steps to take care of your live is doing a “Liver Function Tests”
A number of liver function tests are available to test the proper functioning of the liver. These tests help in the analysis of enzymes in blood that are normally most abundant in liver tissue, metabolites or products. LFT is the combined analysis of serum proteins, serum albumin, serum globulin, A/G Ratio, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, and platelet count.
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