65-year-old Aunt He is usually very frugal, and she is reluctant to throw away uneaten meals, and she always "pours" all the leftovers into her stomach. During a physical examination, Aunt He was found to have moderate fatty liver.
When visiting the general outpatient clinic of the Chunxiao Campus of the Medical and Health Service Group of Ningbo Beilun District People's Hospital, Aunt He asked the doctor a series of questions: "Is fatty liver caused by eating too much fat? If fatty liver is detected, can I still eat meat in the future? If there are no symptoms, do I still need to treat fatty liver?" Below, we will answer them for you one by one.
Myth 1: Fatty liver is "not painful or itchy" and does not need to be treated
Yan Shihao, deputy chief physician of the general medicine department of the Chunxiao Campus of the Medical and Health Service Group of Ningbo Beilun District People's Hospital, said that many elderly patients think that although they have fatty liver, there is nothing abnormal in their body, so they don't need to worry about it. In fact, fatty liver disease can cause liver cell damage, hepatic encephalopathy, digestive abnormalities, and can induce or worsen diabetes. Therefore, for fatty liver, people should actively intervene.
Myth 2: Fatty liver is caused by eating too much fat
Fatty liver disease in older adults is often associated with the following factors:
One is long-term medication. The liver is an important metabolic and detoxification organ of the human body, and most of the drugs that enter the body need to be metabolized by the liver, in this process, drugs may harm the liver, interfere with the metabolism of lipoproteins, and increase the probability of fatty liver. The elderly often have a variety of chronic diseases and need multiple medications, so they should pay more attention to the protection of the liver and use drugs scientifically under the guidance of doctors.
The second is long-term heavy drinking. Long-term heavy drinking is defined as drinking alcohol for more than 5 years with an intake of ≥≥ 40 grams of ethanol per day for men and 20 grams of ethanol per day for women, or an average of 80 grams of ethanol per day for > two weeks. The ethanol in alcohol needs to be metabolized in the liver and produces a large amount of acetaldehyde and free radicals, which are very toxic to liver cells and can lead to hepatocyte steatosis.
The third is obesity and overweight. Overweight and obesity can cause metabolic abnormalities in the body, causing fat to accumulate in the liver, which is an important cause of fatty liver. People with abdominal obesity have the highest risk of developing fatty liver. When the waist circumference > 85 cm for >women and 90 cm for men, it may be abdominal obesity.
Myth 3: To treat fatty liver, it is enough to control your diet
Yan Shihao introduced that most mild and moderate fatty liver is reversible, and patients should pay more attention to diet, exercise, drug use and emotional management.
In terms of diet, fatty liver is closely related to obesity, hyperlipidemia, alcohol consumption, etc., therefore, patients should reduce lipid intake, increase the proportion of protein, dietary fiber and other foods, and eat more fresh vegetables. Pay attention to a balanced diet and try to avoid alcohol.
In terms of exercise, patients with fatty liver may wish to choose a favorite aerobic exercise and stick to it for a long time, recommending brisk walking, aerobics and tai chi, with the goal of controlling their weight within the appropriate range through exercise.
In terms of medication, the elderly must take medication under the guidance of a professional doctor, because some patients with fatty liver may have abnormal liver function, and drugs should be carefully selected to avoid aggravating abnormal liver function.
From the emotional aspect, fatty liver disease will progress gradually, but slowly, and elderly patients should not be overly anxious, but should maintain a happy mood and be positive and optimistic about the treatment of the disease.
Yan Shihao finally reminded that middle-aged and elderly people should have regular physical examinations, once fatty liver is detected, do not let it go, timely intervention under the guidance of doctors, and develop a good lifestyle, which is the "secret" to maintaining health.
Source: Elderly Health News
Text: Qiu Cong, Chunxiao Branch, Medical and Health Service Group, Beilun District People's Hospital, Ningbo City
Curator: Zheng Yingfan
Editors: Wang Qianhui and Li Shiyao
Proofreading: Yang Zhenyu
Review: Qin Mingrui, Xu Bingnan