It takes upwards of ten years for alcohol-related liver disease to progress from fatty liver through fibrosis to cirrhosis to acute on chronic liver failure. This process is silent and symptom free and can easily be missed in primary care, usually presenting with advanced cirrhosis.
Between 5% and 12% of people with NASH will progress to cirrhosis.
It used to be thought that progression from early stage NAFLD to cirrhosis took decades, but recent studies have shown that some people progress rapidly within 2 years. However, research has also shown that there is reversibility.
Early-stage NAFLD doesn't usually cause any harm, but it can lead to serious liver damage, including cirrhosis, if it gets worse. Having high levels of fat in your liver is also associated with an increased risk of problems such as diabetes, heart attacks and strokes.
Alcohol-related cirrhosis usually develops after 10 or more years of heavy drinking. Women who drink heavily are more likely to get liver damage than men, partly because of their different size and build.
A person can remain asymptomatic for years, although 5–7% of those with the condition will develop symptoms every year. Decompensated cirrhosis: People with decompensated cirrhosis already experience symptoms and complications.
If you've been diagnosed with any fatty liver disease, let your health care provider know if you have any symptoms that mean the disease is getting worse. These include fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, weakness, fluid retention, or bleeding.
Both groups of fatty liver disease (AFLD and NAFLD) can lead to cirrhosis when not treated in time. Both conditions take time to progress, but cirrhosis warrants a considerably more severe issue. Fatty liver disease is significantly more common.
People who have been diagnosed with so-called fatty liver, run an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and loss in life expectancy, compared to the general population. These patients have approximately a 2.8 years shorter expected survival, based on collected data from a large number of Swedish patients.
When left untreated, fatty liver disease can progress to inflammation, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Scarring due to cirrhosis isn't reversible. If you develop cirrhosis, it also increases your risk of liver cancer and liver failure. These complications can be life threatening.
Anyone who drinks alcohol heavily, even for a few days, will develop a condition in which liver cells are swollen with fat globules and water. This condition is called "fatty liver." It also may result from: Diabetes.
While fatty liver disease and cirrhosis both involve the liver, there are a few central distinctions. Fatty liver disease is identified by the buildup of fat in the liver; however, cirrhosis is the growth of scarring on top of healthy areas of tissue.
Hidden Health Danger
It can lead to much more serious conditions including cirrhosis and liver failure.” The good news is that fatty liver disease can be reversed—and even cured—if patients take action, including a 10% sustained loss in body weight.
Liver function tests can be used to: Screen for liver infections, such as hepatitis. Monitor the progression of a disease, such as viral or alcoholic hepatitis, and determine how well a treatment is working. Measure the severity of a disease, particularly scarring of the liver (cirrhosis)
exercise regularly – aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, such as walking or cycling, a week; all types of exercise can help improve NAFLD, even if you do not lose weight. stop smoking – if you smoke, stopping can help reduce your risk of problems such as heart attacks and strokes.
Avoiding Alcohol
Moderate or heavy alcohol use can cause additional damage and fat accumulation in the liver in people with NAFLD. Therefore, patients with NAFLD should avoid alcohol entirely if possible.
Cirrhosis can be diagnosed by radiology testing such as computed tomography (CT), ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or via a needle biopsy of the liver. A new imaging technique called elastography, which can be performed with ultrasound or MRI, can also diagnosis cirrhosis.
Your doctor may perform a liver biopsy to see how much scarring in is your liver. A liver biopsy can diagnose cirrhosis when the results of other tests are uncertain. The biopsy may show the cause of cirrhosis.
Myth: I might have cirrhosis, but the liver will regenerate and heal itself naturally. Fact: The liver is a highly regenerative organ but only if it's still healthy enough to do so and doesn't have extensive scar tissue. Once cirrhosis is present, your liver's regeneration becomes very limited.
Cirrhosis is more common in adults ages 45 to 54. About 1 in 200 adults ages 45 to 54 in the United States has cirrhosis. Researchers believe the actual numbers may be higher because many people with cirrhosis are not diagnosed.
Often, cirrhosis is first detected through a routine blood test or checkup. To help confirm a diagnosis, a combination of laboratory and imaging tests is usually done.