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FATTY LIVER
FATTY LIVER
ANCHOR LEAD: MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE BEING DIAGNOSED WITH FATTY LIVER DISEASE, ELIZABETH TRACEY REPORTS
Ever heard of steatohepatitis? That bit of medical jargon translates to fatty liver, a condition that's likely to be in the news much more often as the number of people who have it skyrockets. World Health Organization data tell us that over 50 percent of very obese people already have fatty liver disease, but even those of normal weight can develop it. Steve Solga, assistant medical director of liver transplantation at Johns Hopkins, says fatty liver can give way to scarring and cirrhosis.
SOLGA: tr2, 1.30 Increasingly we understand that fat in the liver can be a setup for inflammation in the liver which in turn can beget scarring, and a person who has lots of scarring in their liver can end up with cirrhosis, essentially a liver that has been largely replaced by scar tissue. :16
Much of the rise in fatty liver disease is related to increases in obesity and diabetes, but not all. And no effective treatment for the condition exists. Solga says the best strategy for prevention is to maintain your ideal weight and consume a healthy diet.
At the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, I'm Elizabeth Tracey reporting.
