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.
Possible signs and symptoms of NASH and advanced scarring (cirrhosis) include: Abdominal swelling (ascites) Enlarged blood vessels just beneath the skin's surface. Enlarged spleen.
Patients with alcoholic fatty liver disease who continue to consume large amounts of alcohol daily have been found to have a risk of 8–30% of developing fibrosis or cirrhosis after 10 years.
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.
The fourth stage of NAFLD is cirrhosis;
Most people with NAFLD have the early stage of the disease (simple fatty liver or steatosis) and only a small number develop the more serious stages. It can take several years for fibrosis or cirrhosis to develop.
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.
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.
The condition begins as steatosis, which means there's fat in the liver but no inflammation. Up to 30 percent of patients with liver steatosis go on to develop liver inflammation, also known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). About 20 percent of patients with NASH go on to develop liver cirrhosis (scarring).
Another 20% to 30% of individuals progress to more advanced NASH fibrosis, and the final stage is NASH 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.
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.
Cirrhosis has become irreversible. Diagnosed at stage 3, the 1-year survival rate is 80%. It's during stage 3 that a liver transplant may be recommended. There's always a risk a person's body will reject the transplant, but if accepted, 80% of transplant patients survive more than 5 years past their operation.
Cirrhosis often has no signs or symptoms until liver damage is extensive. When signs and symptoms do occur, they may include: Fatigue. Easily bleeding or bruising.
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.
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.
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.
You may live the rest of your natural life without having any complications from it. It becomes more complicated for a small percentage of people when it turns to steatohepatitis (NASH), and especially when NASH progresses to cirrhosis. Research suggests that NAFLD overall may lower life expectancy by four years.
Studies of sudden nonviolent deaths illustrate the largely unrecognized and frequent occurrence of sudden death with autopsy findings limited solely to fatty liver. The mechanism(s) of these sudden fatty liver deaths is unknown.
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.
Reversing fatty liver disease Grade II is rare, but not impossible. Satyendra Garg narrates how he managed to reverse the condition through intermittent fasting and sticking to a proper diet.
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.
The good news is that NAFLD can sometimes be reversed — especially if you catch it early before you have liver damage. Weight loss, diet changes, exercise, and management of any other health conditions can improve NAFLD.