By having too much fat in the liver.
It's really really scary, and the sort of thing that could probably only tend to happen in our modern age of over-nutrition and sedentary lifestyles.
The condition is called Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH. It's not associated with any of the usual causes of liver disease (such as alcoholism, hepatitis, etc.).
NASH is thought to affect about 2-5% of Americans. It's considered a silent disease, because it tends to hit people who display no symptoms until it's too late.
NASH usually occurs in overweight middle aged people. Most have elevated levels of bad blood cholesterols (LDL and triglycerides), and many are diabetic or pre-diabetic. Unfortunately, a small number of people with NASH have perfectly normal blood lipids and no diabetic symptoms. What's worse, even children can be affected.
The precautions if NASH is suspected or simply to prevent it are the usual: good healthy diet, lots of exercise, low alcohol consumption, maintain a healthy weight.
It's really really scary, and the sort of thing that could probably only tend to happen in our modern age of over-nutrition and sedentary lifestyles.
The condition is called Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH. It's not associated with any of the usual causes of liver disease (such as alcoholism, hepatitis, etc.).
NASH is thought to affect about 2-5% of Americans. It's considered a silent disease, because it tends to hit people who display no symptoms until it's too late.
NASH usually occurs in overweight middle aged people. Most have elevated levels of bad blood cholesterols (LDL and triglycerides), and many are diabetic or pre-diabetic. Unfortunately, a small number of people with NASH have perfectly normal blood lipids and no diabetic symptoms. What's worse, even children can be affected.
The precautions if NASH is suspected or simply to prevent it are the usual: good healthy diet, lots of exercise, low alcohol consumption, maintain a healthy weight.
