How should fatty liver be treated?
Disease description:
I often need to travel on business and attend social events, and drinking alcohol is inevitable each time. Recently, I have been experiencing a feeling of fullness and pain in the liver area after meals. After visiting the hospital, I was diagnosed with fatty liver disease. I am already paying attention to controlling my diet. Besides this measure, how should fatty liver disease be treated?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Shen Yonghua
Fatty liver disease is a common liver condition, and the following are some of the main treatment approaches:
1. Dietary adjustment: Patients should choose light foods, consume more fresh vegetables and fruits rich in vitamins, and reduce intake of greasy, fried, high-calorie, and high-cholesterol foods such as animal offal and fatty meats. Additionally, total caloric intake should be controlled to achieve balanced nutrition and ensure adequate nutrient intake.
2. Lifestyle modifications: Maintain a regular lifestyle, avoid staying up late, quit smoking and alcohol consumption. Increase physical activity and engage in moderate exercise, such as aerobic activities like jogging, brisk walking, or cycling, to promote fat metabolism and liver cell repair.
3. Pharmacological treatment: Includes vitamin E, pioglitazone, and others, used in patients with specific types of fatty liver disease.
4. Etiological treatment: Treatment should also target the underlying causes. For example, patients with alcoholic fatty liver disease must completely abstain from alcohol, while those with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease need to improve insulin resistance and manage metabolic syndrome.
Once diagnosed with fatty liver disease, active measures should be taken promptly to prevent further progression of the condition.
