2015-07-18

What treatment options does NASH patients have?

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH is a type of non-communicable disease (NCD), also known as “lifestyle disease”. This type of disease is preventable and the most common causes are smoking, alcohol abuse, unbalanced diets and lack of physical activity.[2] NASH is similar to alcoholic liver disease, but develops in people who do not drink or drink very little alcohol. People with NASH have fat in the liver, along with inflammation and damage. If untreated, NASH may advance to cirrhosis or even liver cancer. In USA, NASH is one of the major causes of cirrhosis; statistics indicate that up to 25% of adults with NASH may have cirrhosis.

NASH has become more common in developed countries but its underlying cause is still not clear. It tends to occur in people who are middle-aged and overweight or obese. It is more common in women than in men. Many NASH patients have high cholesterol or triglycerides and diabetes.

Usually, NASH patients have few or no symptoms. Among the symptoms that do appear, fatigue, loss of appetite and weight loss for no clear reason are the most common. Because of this, most people with NASH would only discover the problem during routine checkups. By that time the disease is more advanced, making it even harder to treat. In addition, NASH patients usually have elevated ALT levels; this figure is used to determine the extent of liver damage, and can be obtained in liver function tests (LFTs).

Currently, there are no specific conventional treatment for NASH. Patients are generally advised to adopt a healthy lifestyle and reduce weight to normal level in order to reduce the amount of fat in the liver and improve their condition. However, there are alternative therapies that have been proven to have positive effects on NASH. [3][4][5] Patients should aim to slow or stop the progression of NASH in the early stages, and to prevent scarring of the liver and fibrosis.

Reference:

Disclaimer:

* All research and clinical data should be used as reference purposes only, results may vary.

Tags:

NASH Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Related Questions

Japanese Diet: A Key to Healthy Liver

Japanese people are known for their longevity and low prevalence of chronic health issues. Japanese diet could be one of the secrets behind their long lifespan. The Japanese diet has been reported to be beneficial in preventing fat accumulation in liver cells. Several ways of the Japanese diet protect liver health and let’s break it down. Antioxidants and healthy fat In the Japanese diet, c

Eating Patterns Are Also Critical To Liver Health

Many of us know a healthy diet is one of the ways to protect our liver. But it is not just about eating the right food. It is also about eating in the right way. In 2015, research published in Population Health Management found that eating too fast and eating before sleep significantly impacts liver fat issues. About 2000 participants were chosen among health insurance beneficiaries who were not identified as having liver fat problems. They completed physicals in 20

Hit Questions

Knowing cirrhosis and treatment options

The liver carries out essential functions, including detoxifying harmful substances in your body, cleaning your blood and making new blood and other vital nutrients. Cirrhosis is scarring of the liver caused by long-term liver damage. The loss of liver cells turns into scar tissue which prevents the liver working normally, reducing or in some cases, completely losing liver function. Cirrhosis is a long-term chronic liver damage; it is often caused by chronic live

What is ALT (SGPT), and how to lower it?

ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase / SGPT) is an enzyme that is mainly found in liver cells. The level of ALT in our bloodstream is the primary indicator of liver health. What does high ALT indicate? ALT enzymes are normally contained within liver cells when the liver is healthy, but when the liver cells are injured or damaged by whatever means, ALT enzymes are released into the bloodstream, causing levels to go up. Therefore, by measuring the

The AST and ALT levels on your blood test results – what do they mean?

AST and ALT are two common markers for diagnosing liver diseases. Patients with liver disorders often find their AST and ALT levels unsatisfactory, but what do the figures actually imply? And do patients of every kind of liver dysfunctions have the same levels? AST:ALT ratio Although the normal range of AST and ALT level varies among laboratories and countries, the ratio of AST:ALT is key when it comes to diagnosing liver diseases. The use

What does elevated ALT level means? And when is treatment needed?

ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase / SGPT) is a type of enzyme found in liver cells. When the liver cells are functioning normally, the ALT enzymes should be contained within the liver cells. You can imagine each liver cells as a balloon, and the ALT enzymes are the air inside the balloon. When the balloon is damaged, the air will be released. And when the liver cells is damaged, ALT enzymes are released into the bloodstream, therefore we are able to find out the l