Obesity and abnormal liver function tests

Chapter 39 OBESITY AND ABNORMAL LIVER FUNCTION TESTS





INTRODUCTION


Fatty liver or steatosis refers to the accumulation of fat within the liver. The fatty liver disorders are the most common cause of disturbances of liver function tests in the Western world. While there are several causes of fatty liver, including that of excessive consumption of alcohol (see Chapter 40), the commonest cause is that of insulin resistance usually (but not always) associated with one or a combination of obesity, hyperlipidaemia and/or hyperglycaemia. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the term used to describe steatosis unrelated to excessive alcohol consumption. NAFLD is a form of metabolic liver disease nearly always associated with insulin resistance and very often with the metabolic, or insulin resistance (IR), syndrome.


NAFLD encompasses the entire pathological spectrum from bland steatosis to decompensated cirrhosis. It therefore includes:





The term non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is defined by histological features resembling those of alcoholic hepatitis that are present in patients who have not consumed excessive quantities of alcohol. Most studies define the latter as alcohol consumption less than 20 g per day (i.e. less than 2 standard alcoholic drinks per day).




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Mar 29, 2017 | Posted by in GASTROENTEROLOGY | Comments Off on Obesity and abnormal liver function tests

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