Fatty Liver ????????

[joedev51]

I went to see my GI doctor because I was having pains in my stomach. The doctor sent me for a stomach ultrasound. When I got the results back he said, I had some cysts on my kidneys and I had a fatty liver. I am 57 years old and only drink a few beers(4) a couple of times a month. Can someone explain to me what a fatty liver is and what causes it. And can it be treated ? I do have high triglycerides, but my over all cholesterol is 167. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

[maatson]

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

[AShaw55]

Fatty liver disease (FLD) is really common among alcoholics but there is also a less common nonalcoholic FLD.  Triglycerides (TG) are actually the fats which get deposited in the liver causing fatty streaks within the organ. Any fatty liver condition is associated with impaired fat breakdown.  TGs are broken down and stored within the liver.  When circulating levels of TGs surpass the livers ability to break them down they are just enter storage instead.  This makes it easy to understand how chronic high TG levels can lead to a fatty liver.  Diet and exercise are excellent options for treating this condition, assuming the nonalcoholic form, lifestyle changes must be made.  Im sure theres some type of prescription medicine out there that treats this condiition but I would recommend more holistic approaches initially.  Either way the liver is the fastest regenerating organ in the body and symptoms of liver damage wont be present until 80% of the organs tissue has been compromised.  Finally FLD is a reversible pathology but if it progress to cyst formation on the liver it can no longer be reversed.

Unfortunately I'm not as well versed in conditions of the kidney but both of these organs are critical in many important processes, especially the liver.

[jemma116]

Do you eat a lot of fatty foods and are you overweight?

If so, that could be the reason for your fatty liver.