With the nationwide increase in obesity, we are seeing not only an increase in Type 2 diabetes but an increase in NAFLD: non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. According to the American Liver Foundation:

• About 100 million individuals in the United States are estimated to have NAFLD.

• NAFLD is the most common form of liver disease in children and has more than doubled over the past 20 years.

According to the American Heart Association, approximately 25% of the adult global population does not even know that they are afflicted with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. This is a common occurrence because NAFLD frequently does not present with symptoms in the beginning stages. If you ever wondered why this disease has been called “the silent liver disease,” now you know why. Missing this diagnosis can have devastating effects, not just on your liver, but on your heart and vascular system as well. 

NAFLD, simply put, is an accumulation of fat in your liver. As the fat takes up space in your liver, it can lead to inflammation, cirrhosis, scarring, and liver failure. This is referred to as NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis). Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is clinically defined as when your liver has fat deposits but without impairment. As this disease progresses and starts wreaking havoc at the hepatic cellular level, it advances to NASH, the advanced stage of NAFLD. 

According to the American Liver Foundation, “NAFLD is the most common chronic liver condition in the United States. It is estimated that about 25 percent of adults in the U.S. have NAFLD. Of those with NAFLD, about 20 percent have NASH (5% of adults in the U.S.). Most people with NAFLD have simply fatty liver.”

It is important to keep in mind that this type of liver disease is not attributed to drinking alcohol to excess, but it has links to obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and, in certain populations, a genetic disposition.

As with diabetes, NAFLD carries an increased likelihood of Peripheral Arterial Disease, or PAD for short. PAD, along with NAFLD or diabetes, will dramatically increase the risk of death or severe cardiovascular events, like a stroke, heart attack, or other severe medical complications.

When a person is overweight and develops fatty liver, his or her healthy liver tissue will be replaced with unhealthy fat cells. The eradication of healthy liver cells coupled with the accumulation of fat cells in the liver can result in liver fibrous—which is scarring of the liver tissue. Fibrosis is when scarring in the liver first occurs. Fibrous liver tissue can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure.

If you have PAD and NAFLD, the risk of developing unhealthy and dangerous fibrous tissue is multiplied. This means there is a time clock on your health to get screened for PAD and, if applicable, treated. This combination will accelerate fatty liver disease and lead to disastrous complications.

PAD can sometimes be overlooked in patients who suffer from chronic liver disease. This is unfortunate because the screening for PAD is quite simple and accessible. Having NAFLD or NASH not only puts you at risk for PAD, but also cardiovascular disease (CVD). Therefore, a multidisciplinary approach is encouraged to make sure that patients who suffer from chronic liver disease do not develop dangerous comorbidities.

Knowledge is power. If you suffer from NAFLD or NASH, make sure you are being monitored for complications such as PAD or CVD. Talk to your doctor about the NASH diet or ways that you can reduce your weight. Make sure that your Primary Care Physician uses a multidisciplinary approach in managing your disease process with hepatic specialists and vascular surgeons who specialize in PAD, like Dr. David Nabi.

Prevention and screening are the keys to living your best life and preventing serious complications from these types of diseases. For more information on NAFLD and PAD, bookmark NewportVascular.com.