In the impression of many people, fatty liver is only the "patent" of fat people. But in fact, many fatty liver patients are not only not fat, but also slim.
Recently, a new study published in China's World Journal of Gastroenterology found that people who are thin and have normal waist circumference, but have fatty livers account for 12.9% of the total fatty liver patients.
What exactly is fatty liver? Why are thin people also "doomed"? "Life Times" interviewed authoritative experts to interpret and teach you a set of scientific methods for "slimming" the liver.
Experts interviewed
Gao Jirong, chief physician of the Department of Hepatology, Beijing You'an Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University
Zhong Bihui, Professor of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University
Zhang Qiuxiang, a nutritionist in the Nutrition Department of Peking University Third Hospital
The study conducted by Fan Jiangao, Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said that clinically it is not possible to judge whether patients have fatty liver by "fat and thin", and fatty liver is not uncommon in thin people.
The study surveyed a total of 2715 health examiners, and of the 810 thin and normal waist circumference, 17.5% of them suffered from fatty liver disease, accounting for 5.2% of the entire population.
In addition, with the increase of "meat" on the body, the overall prevalence of fatty liver will increase: the prevalence of fatty liver in fat people is higher at 61.7%, 39.1% in overweight people, and 21.4% in overall thin people. Those who are thin and have a normal waist circumference but have fatty liver account for 12.9% of the total fatty liver patients.
✦ So what is the difference between a thin person with a normal waist circumference but a fatty liver and a fat person without a fatty liver?
The difference is that these thin people are basically younger and have worse metabolic disorders: lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), higher waist circumference-to-height ratio, diastolic blood pressure, platelet count, triglycerides, blood urea nitrogen, etc.
Researchers pointed out that if the body is slim, but the waist height ratio, hemoglobin or triglycerides are high, it is best to use ultrasound to check fatty liver.
Note: The waist circumference height ratio refers to the ratio of waist circumference to height. The waist-height ratio of people under 40 years old should not exceed 0.5, those aged 40 to 50 should not exceed 0.5 to 0.6, and those over 50 years old should not exceed 0.6.
Fatty liver has now surpassed viral hepatitis and become the largest liver disease in China, and it is becoming more and more youthful, but many people still do not know much about it. In fact, not only obesity, the following reasons will make the liver "troubled" by fat.
No.1
malnutrition
The metabolism of fat in the body and the transport between the liver and the blood require a "means of transport", a tool called apolipoprotein. When malnutrition, especially insufficient protein intake, there is not enough apolipoprotein in the body to transport triglycerides out, and a large number of them are deposited in the liver, forming a fatty liver.
Therefore, blind weight loss, long-term vegetarian diet, etc. may bring fatty liver.
No.2
diabetes
As a metabolic syndrome, it causes the body's metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats to occur abnormally, and about 50% of diabetics may develop fatty liver.
In addition to diabetes, obesity, hyperlipidemia, hyperuricemia and hypertension are closely related to insulin resistance, and will also increase the susceptibility of other liver damage factors, leading to the occurrence and development of liver disease.
No.3
Long-term alcoholism
Long-term heavy alcohol consumption will damage liver cells, coupled with a decrease in appetite after drinking, a decrease in food intake, a decrease in the intake of choline, an enzyme that participates in and constitutes fat catabolism in food, and excess triglycerides are difficult to remove, which in the long run can easily lead to alcoholic fatty liver.
No.4
Intestinal flora disorders
A large number of studies have shown that several major factors such as bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine, enterogenic endotoxemia and increased sensitivity of the fattified liver to endotoxins are also related to the occurrence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Other diseases such as chronic hepatitis, hyperthyroidism, Cochin syndrome, etc., if they destroy the integrity of the hepatocyte membrane, or lead to abnormal fat metabolism in the liver, hepatocyte hypoxia, can also cause fatty liver.
No.5
Poisoning with certain drugs and chemicals
For example, excessive consumption or close contact with tetracycline, arsenic, silver, mercury and other heavy metals, trichloroene, carbon tetrachloride and other organic solvents, barbiturates, aflatoxin, etc., can cause fatty liver.
In addition to the above-mentioned high-risk groups, if ordinary people suddenly have the following symptoms, it is best to go to the hospital in time to check liver function.
anorexia
This is a common symptom of fatty liver, if the appetite is lost for a long time, in addition to suspecting gastritis, it is necessary to be vigilant against fatty liver.
Nausea, vomiting
Mild fatty liver disease is accompanied by liver function impairment, and there are often nausea and vomiting, oil aversion, right upper quadrant vague pain, fullness and other discomfort.
Tiredness and fatigue
Fatty liver disease above moderate may have manifestations of fatigue and fatigue, and a small number of fatty liver patients may also have mild jaundice.
Thick neck
The average neck circumference of fatty liver patients is larger than that of the average person, which means that if the neck becomes thicker, it may be a sign of fatty liver.
Vitamin deficiency
It is manifested by glossitis, angular stomatitis, ecchymosis of the skin, etc., and a small number of people may also have symptoms such as gastrointestinal bleeding, bleeding gums, and nosebleeds.
Endocrine disorders
In patients with severe fatty liver disease, men may have testicular atrophy and erectile dysfunction, and women may have menorrhagia and amenorrhea.
Lifestyle modification is the most effective treatment for fatty liver patients. In addition, mild fatty liver disease without metabolic disorders may also be eliminated after regular life.
Cultivate healthy habits
✦ Must eat breakfast every day;
✦ Three meals a day are normal and regular, do not eat snacks;
✦ Maintain an appropriate weight and insist on an appropriate amount of exercise 2 to 3 times a week;
✦ Ensure adequate sleep (7 to 8 hours per night), do not stay up late;
✦ Try not to drink alcohol or smoke;
✦ Psychological balance, know how to adjust to yourself.
Keep your mouth shut and learn to eat
✦ Low fat: the cooking method is mainly steaming, brewing, mixing and boiling;
✦ High protein: as far as possible to choose some high-quality protein ingredients;
✦ High fiber: the right amount of carbohydrates, the selection of fruits and vegetables with low sugar content and rich in cellulose;
✦ Multivitamin: Choose foods rich in B vitamins and vitamin C;
✦ Diversified food varieties, less salt, avoid irritating spices;
✦ Drink less juice.
Move it
Avoid developing the habit of sitting and moving less, in terms of increasing calorie consumption, you can sit without lying, you can stand without sitting, you can walk without standing, you can be fast and not slow.
Pay attention to physical examination
Regular physical examinations, including height, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood glucose, blood lipids, liver function and liver ultrasound, etc., in order to detect and detect obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidemia and related diseases at an early stage, and take timely measures to prevent the development of the disease.
Avoid taking hepatoprotective drugs without authorization
When selecting drugs, beware of toxic side effects, avoid or reduce the use of drugs that are harmful to the liver; do not take liver protection drugs or health care products without authorization, so as to avoid further increasing the burden on the liver.
No.6
Medication, regular re-examination
For those with significant elevated transaminases, please seek medical attention in time, improve the examination, take liver protection drugs under the guidance of a specialist, recheck liver function and ultrasound once every 3 to 6 months, and follow up regularly. ▲
Editor of this issue: Zhao Ziying
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