Steatosis
Treatment for NAFLD
Most people with NAFLD won't develop any serious problems, but if you're diagnosed with the condition it's a good idea to take steps to stop it getting any worse.
There's currently no specific medication for NAFLD, but making healthy lifestyle choices can help and treatment may be recommended for associated conditions (high blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol) or complications.
You may be advised to have regular appointments with yourdoctor to check your liver function andlook for signs of any new problems.
Healthy diet and lifestyle
Adopting a healthy lifestyle is the main way of managing NAFLD.The following can allhelp:
- Lose weight you should aim for a BMI of 18.5-24.9; use the BMI calculator to work out your BMI. Losing more than 10% of your weight can remove some fat from the liver and improve NASH if you have it.
- Eat a healthy diet try to have a balanced diet high in fruits, vegetables, protein and carbohydrates, but low in fat, sugar and salt. Eating smaller portions of food can help too.
- Exerciseregularly aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity , such as walking or cycling, a week. All types of exercise can help improve NAFLD, even if you don't lose weight.
- Stop smoking if you smoke, stopping can help reduce your risk of problems such as heart attacks and strokes.
NAFLD isn't caused by alcohol, butdrinking may make the condition worse. It's therefore advisable to cut down or stop drinking alcohol. Read some tips on cutting down on alcohol .
Medication
There isn't currently any medication that can treat NAFLD, butvarious medicines can be useful in managing the problems associated with the condition.
For example, your doctor may recommend medication to treat high blood pressure , treat high cholesterol , treat type 2 diabetes and/or treat obesity .
Liver transplant
If you developsevere cirrhosis and yourliver stops working properly, you may need to be put on the waiting list for a liver transplant.
For adults,the average waiting time for a liver transplant is 145 days for transplants from recently deceased donors.
Alternatively, it may be possible to have a transplant usinga section of liverremoved from a living donor. Asthe liver can regenerate itself, both the transplanted section and the remaining section of the donor's liver are able to regrow to a normal size.
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Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Read about the symptoms, causes and types of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a range of conditions caused by a build-up of fat within the liver cells.
Stages of NAFLD
NAFLD develops in four main stages. Most people will only everdevelop the first stage, usually without realising it. In small number of cases itcan progress and eventually lead to liver damage if not
Am I at risk of NAFLD?
You're at an increased risk of NAFLD if you: are obese or overweight particularly if you have a lot of fat around your waist (an "apple-like" body shape) have type 2 diabetes have high blood pre
Symptoms ofNAFLD
There aren't usually any symptoms of NAFLD in the early stages. You probably won't know you have it unless it's diagnosed during tests carried out for another reason. Occasionally, people with NASH o
Treatment for NAFLD
Most people with NAFLD won't develop any serious problems, but if you're diagnosed with the condition it's a good idea to take steps to stop it getting any worse. There's currently no specific medica
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