Is eating and drinking more "eating" than working overtime? Doctor reveals "metabolic hepatitis" may be a future trend
The liver is one of the important organs of the human body. Endocrine, detoxification, and immunity are all related to liver habits. Liver problems are often ignored because the symptoms are mild. According to statistics from the Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare, approximately 13,000 people die from chronic liver disease, cirrhosis and liver cancer every year, showing that liver disease is indeed a common health problem among Taiwanese people.
Are alcoholism, obesity, and chronic diseases risk factors? 5 common liver diseases that must be prevented
Dr. Zheng Naiyuan, director of Lian On Clinic of Lian On Preventive Medicine Institution, said that common liver diseases can be divided into “viral hepatitis”, “alcoholic hepatitis” and “non-alcoholic liver disease” based on their causes. Among them, non-alcoholic liver diseases include fatty liver, fatty liver disease and fatty liver disease. hepatitis, drug-induced hepatitis and autoimmune hepatitis. Doctors listed 5 common liver diseases for explanation:
Viral hepatitis. A variety of viruses may cause hepatitis, among which hepatitis A and E are fecal-oral infections, but they will not evolve into chronic hepatitis. Hepatitis B, C, and D are transmitted through blood. If the inflammation lasts for more than 6 months, it will evolve into chronic hepatitis, and continued deterioration may lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Alcoholic hepatitis. Many people with drinking habits have fatty liver, which is caused by the inflammation of liver cells caused by the “acetaldehyde” in alcohol. It is often asymptomatic in the early stage. In the long term, symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue, jaundice, and fever may occur. In severe cases, it may lead to cirrhosis and liver failure.
Non-alcoholic liver disease. Non-alcoholic hepatitis is mostly caused by excessive liver fat. Common metabolic disease factors may cause the disease, such as obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, etc., which can easily cause damage to liver cells.
Cirrhosis of the liver. Diffuse inflammation of the liver leads to fibrosis of hepatocytes, resulting in structural and functional abnormalities of the liver; any chronic hepatitis may cause cirrhosis.
Liver cancer. Usually the tumor becomes larger and damages liver function. It is often discovered only when obvious symptoms appear. The main risk factors are chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis. Therefore, every patient with chronic hepatitis must conduct long-term follow-up to detect liver cancer early and strive for the best opportunity for treatment.
Could “metabolic hepatitis” be the mainstream liver disease in the future? Is eating and drinking more “eating” than working overtime?
Dr. Zheng Naiyuan pointed out that as the government has improved the accessibility of hepatitis screening in recent years, Taiwan has also comprehensively implemented neonatal hepatitis B vaccination. Coupled with drug treatment, viral hepatitis “will be under control sooner or later.” Nowadays, more attention should be paid to hepatitis caused by metabolic syndrome. There are currently no effective drugs and treatments, so prevention is particularly important.
Dr. Zheng Naiyuan said that with the trend of westernized diet, the number of patients with fatty liver or metabolic syndrome is increasing. The National Health Research Institutes of Taiwan research paper also mentioned that fatty liver is currently the most common cause of liver disease in the world, and steatohepatitis will become the main cause of liver transplantation. Fatty liver caused by overeating and improper drinking is more likely to cause “liver explosion” than fatigue from work.
In clinics, people often misunderstand the myth and believe that if you have hepatitis, it will be cured if you treat it with medication. “This is a very dangerous idea! Metabolic hepatitis is different from hepatitis B and C. There is no single target to attack, and there is no single controllable genetic abnormality. If you rely on drug treatment, it will easily cause many side effects and is not a feasible approach. " said Dr. Zheng Naiyuan.
How to prevent “metabolic hepatitis”? Diet, exercise, and regular check-ups are indispensable
Dr. Zheng Naiyuan said that if you want to have a healthy liver, the most important thing is to improve your living habits, especially dietary adjustments. Eat less processed foods, refined starches, and desserts, avoid overeating, reduce alcohol consumption, increase dietary fiber intake, and follow a regular diet. Exercise and actively control your weight to reduce liver fat formation.
What are some ways to detect liver disease early? Dr. Zheng Naiyuan explained that if people feel tired, do not sleep enough, have poor appetite, or lose weight, they should pay special attention to their physical condition. If these symptoms are ignored, treatment may be difficult by the time obvious symptoms such as jaundice and coma appear.
Dr. Zheng Naiyuan reminds the public that they should regularly conduct blood tests, urine tests, and imaging tests to determine whether there is inflammation in the liver. If abnormal liver function is found, further ultrasound testing should be used to help detect liver tumors early. In addition, suspected lesions can be further confirmed by computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, liver indexes such as GOT and GPT, as well as measurement of bilirubin, A-fetoprotein, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C antibodies are also necessary.
Dr. Zheng Naiyuan reminded that in recent years, we have observed the trend of more and more non-alcoholic liver diseases in the younger generation. Although some people have not shown serious signs of the disease, if they do not change their improper eating habits, they may develop many disease problems in the future. . If you pay more attention to the liver as early as possible, you can avoid a life of liver suffering.
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