Medicine
What is Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Fatty liver disease is a condition in which accumulated fat in the liver can lead to swelling and inflammation, which over time may cause liver scarring, cirrhosis, and related health problems such as liver failure and liver cancer. This serious health issue occurs in up to 25 percent of Americans and frequently occurs in the setting of excess weight and diabetes.
What causes Fatty Liver? People who have a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 27, or are diabetic, are at higher risk for fatty liver disease. People who gain weight mainly in the abdomen are at greater risk compared to those who distribute weight in the hips or thighs. Additionally, those with a family history of fatty liver disease may have a genetic predisposition for the disease. Fatty liver disease typically occurs in conjunction with other obesity-related conditions, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and most importantly, diabetes.
How do I treat Fatty Liver? Currently, no medications have been FDA approved to treat fatty liver disease, but weight loss has been shown to reverse fat accumulation, inflammation and even mild
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Torfay Sharifnia Roman, MD is a Transplant Hepatologist at AdventHealth Transplant Institute. She completed her Internal Medicine residency training at Boston University Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. She subsequently completed her Gastroenterology fellowship, as well as an advanced fellowship in Transplant Hepatology, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN. She is boardcertified in Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, and Transplant Hepatology. Additionally, she is board certified in Obesity Medicine and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine.
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