More than a third of Germans suffer from fatty liver

Subsequent diseases underestimated: liver cirrhosis can lead to liver cancer
Are you one of those people who have liver problems? Then you may already be suffering from fatty liver. This is very common in Germany and now affects about every third German at least once in a lifetime. If people do not move enough, consume a lot of alcohol and are overweight, they are at particular risk for the onset of the disease.

A fatty liver is widespread in Germany. According to experts, about 30 percent of all Germans suffer from such a disease. The human liver has no pain receptors, which is why we usually notice fatty liver disease much too late. Physicians warned against underestimating this type of liver disease.

Fatty liver symptoms are difficult to detect
In Germany, many people suffer from a so-called fatty liver and even the number of diseases in children and adolescents has increased significantly. Such an obesity of the liver is difficult to recognize. Concerned people will not be able to associate most symptoms with a liver problem. When people feel tired and tired, they often do not think about liver disease. Often, a fatty liver is later diagnosed by the family doctor. These are usually found due to slightly elevated liver enzymes, said the physician Professor Ali Canbay, Deputy Director of the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University Hospital Essen opposite the "WAZ".

The two different shapers of fatty liver
Often the symptoms of liver disease can only be diagnosed when the tissue of our liver has already changed dramatically. If the disease has progressed so far, sufferers notice, for example, a pressure pain in the right upper abdomen. It can also happen that the skin in people with fatty liver yellowish (so-called jaundice). Two different formers of the disease are known to the medical profession. Alcohol-induced fatty liver is caused by excessive consumption of alcohol. Non-alcoholic fatty liver is most common in people who move too little, who are very overweight or who are eating poorly. In people who are severely overweight, even the often recommended glass of red wine in the evening could have a strong negative impact on the liver, warned Prof. Canbay. A glass of red wine in the evening can not be described as an alcohol abuse, but the liver already affected by the overweight already reacts to small amounts of alcohol.

Duties of the human liver
The tasks of the liver in the human body are extremely diverse. For example, the organ controls our metabolism and filters out toxic substances. Among other things, the liver also converts carbohydrates and fatty acids from our diet, which are then added back to human blood in the form of "neutral fats". If carbohydrates and dietary fats are oversupplied, our organ can no longer completely process and convert the substances. A removal is then no longer possible. At such a moment, the human liver begins to store fats and become more and more fatigued. Physicians warn against underestimating the risk of fatty liver disease. Such an organ disease can cause serious sequelae.

A widespread secondary disease is, for example, liver inflammation. In about one third of all patients with fatty liver, the organ becomes inflamed. These disorders are also referred to as fatty liver hepatitis. If such hepatitis is not detected early, liver cirrhosis may develop. The cirrhosis causes the cells of the liver to die. Our liver is getting smaller and scarier. If the disease is already well advanced, the organ is no longer able to perform its tasks properly. In addition, in liver cirrhosis, the risk of developing liver cancer increases, Prof. Canbay added.

Fatty liver and diabetes could be related
The immediate consequences of fatty degeneration are well researched and well documented. But also indirect connections become more and more clear by new investigations. For example, it is believed that a fatty liver favors type 2 diabetes. In addition, physicians suspect that the disease has a negative impact on the human cardiovascular system. It is still unclear to what extent exactly overweight triggers "diabetes mellitus". It is also not clear what proportion of a fatty liver in the disease has. Obesity and diabetes are clearly major risk factors for fatty liver disease, said Canbay. Conversely, it would be likely that fatty liver can also cause diabetes. If our liver is already greasy, she has already developed insulin resistance. The role of the liver is still underestimated in many diseases, the physician told the "WAZ".

Ways to treat a fatty liver
What are the options for preventing or preventing fatty liver disease? Since a fatty liver is often triggered by overweight and poor diet, it is important to tackle these problems. It is important to pay attention to a healthy diet and to move a lot. In general, exercise helps reduce fat without losing weight in the liver, explain the authors of the current treatment guidelines of the German Gastroenterological Society. If metabolism is boosted, the liver will be able to break down fat better, added Professor Canbay. At the present time, there is no way to treat fatty liver with medication. The genesis and development of the disease has not been studied accurately enough. But at least the causes of fatty liver can be treated well. These include, for example, obesity and diseases such as celiac disease. It is also possible that a fatty liver is triggered by a hepatitis C disorder or certain medications.

Fatty liver reversible, the organ forgives some sins
If a fatty liver is detected quickly enough, there is the opportunity for patients to reduce the fat content or completely reduce it again. A fatty liver is reversible when sufferers change their diet and lose weight, reports Professor Canbay. Through these changes, the organ is then able to regenerate completely again. This is the great thing about the liver, the organ grows and forgives one or the other sin, so the gastroenterologist.