Last Updated on March 23, 2022 by Shabnam Sengupta
Yes, Non-Alcoholic Fatty liver Disease is a spectrum of diseases. Steatosis (fatty liver) is an accumulation of fat in the liver. When this progresses to become associated with inflammation, it is known as steatohepatitis.
According to the American Liver Foundation, NAFLD is the build-up of extra fat in the liver cell that is not caused by alcohol. It is normal to contain some fat. However, if more than 5-10% of the liver’s weight is fat, it is called fatty liver (steatosis). The more severe form of NAFLD is called Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH).
Fatty Liver Disease or Hepatic Steatosis means you have extra fat in your liver. Heavy drinking makes you more likely to get it. Over time, too much alcohol leads to a buildup of fat inside your liver cells which eventually impairs the functioning of the liver. But you can get fatty liver disease even if you don’t drink a lot of alcohol as well. Fatty Liver Disease is of two types, namely, Alcohol-Related Fatty Liver Disease (ALD) and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD).
Alcoholic fatty liver disease is preventable and gets better when you stop drinking alcohol. If you keep drinking, ALD can cause serious problems such as Enlarged liver, Alcoholic hepatitis (swelling in the liver that can cause fever, nausea, vomiting, belly pain), jaundice (yellowish skin and eyes), and Alcoholic cirrhosis (buildup of scar tissue in your liver).
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition where excess fat is stored in the liver, but the cause is not alcohol. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases states that there are two types of NAFLD, i.e., Non Alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and Non Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH). When you just have excess fat stored in your liver, it is referred to as nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL). When there is both fat storage and inflammation leading to liver damage, it is referred to as Non Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH).
NASH (Non Alcoholic Steatohepatitis) is the form of NAFLD in which you have inflammation of the liver and liver damage, in addition to fat in your liver. The inflammation and liver damage of NASH can cause fibrosis, or scarring, of the liver. NASH may lead to cirrhosis, in which the liver is scarred and permanently damaged. Cirrhosis can lead to liver cancer. About 20% of people with NAFLD have NASH.
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