Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, with 3.4 million deaths in 2010. Furthermore, obesity rates have increased dramatically in children and adolescents at a rate of 47.1%. The above reports indicate how immediate and direct should be the intervention of the state, of specialists, so that our society is sensitized. A consequence of obesity is the non-alcoholic steatohepatitis - which is known to all of us as fatty liver - which is not a harmless disease, as it is shown by the research. Studies show that 1/3 of liver transplants are due to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. In the Western world a fatty liver leads at a rate of 10% to liver cirrhosis. If we take a look at the latest results of meta-analyses in the 5 continents, from where 4 million samples were collected, they show that, second to smoking, “obesity” with a Body Mass Index above 25 kg/m2, consists the second cause of death globally (Lancet, July 2016).
The non-alcoholic hepatitis (fatty liver) is closely related with
• Insulin resistance
• Obesity
The Metabolic Syndrome, and for this reason it is recommended to perform examinations in order to find out its possible existence in patients with risk factors, that is:
• Hypertension
• Type 2-diabetes
• Sleep apnea
• positive family history
• Dyslipidemia
• a sedentary lifestyle.
The “LIFESTYLE CHANGE” treatment
in people with a BMI (Body Mass Index) >25 mg :
1. Avoid fructose and trans-fatty acids and increase of the consumption of Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
2. Reduce alcohol consumption
3. Reduce the intake of calories by 25%
4. 5-10% Weight Loss - it helps reducing the inflammation
5. 30-40 min physical exercise, 3-4 times a week
6. After 3-6 months that the above program is followed and after a visit to the Doctor you decide together whether to begin treatment or not.
The recommended laboratory tests are the following:
Complete Blood Count, ΙΝR, Body-fat measurement, HBsAg, Anti-HBcor, Anti-HCV, SGOT, SGPT, γGT, ALP, T. Cholesterol, HbA1c, fasting glucose.