Liver steatosis is a widespread and difficult to treat disease.

Steatosis (fatty liver, fatty infiltration of the liver) is a disease that is part of the group of hepatoses - pathologies characterized by impaired metabolic processes in the liver cells with the subsequent development of tissue degeneration.

With steatosis, fat accumulates in hepatocytes. When there is a lot of it, it breaks the cell and goes into the intercellular space. Subsequently, a membrane forms around the fat droplet, turning it into a cyst. Initially, there are very few fatty cysts in the liver, they are single. However, as the process progresses, entire groups of cells may suffer, and then steatosis can affect the entire tissue, causing diffuse fatty liver disease.

Do liver steatosis need to be treated?

Very often, routine ultrasound diagnostics of the liver reveal diffuse changes in the liver such as steatosis (fatty hepatosis, fatty infiltration of the liver).
Liver steatosis is a common phenomenon for older people, most often accompanying the aging process, however, recently liver steatosis is also characteristic of young people, and even perhaps without accompanying excess weight? Of course, steatosis is a disease that is expressed in the fact that adipose tissue is formed inside the liver instead of liver tissue , which does not perform the function of the liver and differs from liver tissue in its structure by its high density. With steatosis, the amount of healthy liver gradually decreases and over time, the remaining healthy part will not be able to ensure the vital functions of the body. This stage of the disease is called cirrhosis of the liver and is difficult to treat.

The problem is complicated by the fact that the liver does not hurt, and even if it is seriously damaged, the patient does not have any complaints, with the exception of a possible feeling of heaviness in the right hypochondrium . Most often, heaviness and discomfort in the right hypochondrium with steatosis, as with other liver pathologies, are caused by an increase in its size.

Authorized Products

Diet for liver steatosis includes:

• Lean meats - beef, chicken, rabbit, turkey, veal. It is advisable to boil the meat to reduce the content of fat and extractive substances, and then cook it at your discretion - bake, stew with vegetables or grind it into minced meat. Twisted meat puts less strain on the stomach, which is especially important for concomitant stomach pathologies.
• Soups made with vegetable broths, to which cereals, light pasta or vegetables are added. You can cook borscht and non-sour cabbage soup, as well as milk soups. The only condition is the absence of sautéing and frying in soups. If you are obese, preference is given to low-calorie vegetable first courses.
• Dried wheat bread, and if well tolerated - dried rye bread. You can eat biscuits and biscuits.
• Low-fat fish, boiled or baked, as well as minced fish dishes.
• Baked or stewed vegetables - pumpkin, beets, zucchini, squash, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. The issue of consuming legumes and white cabbage is decided on an individual basis - it depends on tolerance. Tomatoes are allowed in limited quantities; vegetable salads and spices (cumin, dill and parsley) can be introduced.
• Sour cream, vegetable or milk sauces for various dishes.
• All kinds of cereals in the form of crumbly porridges and casseroles. For constipation, limit rice. If you are overweight, the amount of cereal consumed is reduced.
• Low-fat fermented milk products, cottage cheese, milk and sour cream as additives to dishes.
• Eggs - omelettes or soft-boiled.
• Non-acidic and ripe fruits and berries, fresh and processed - compotes, jellies, mousses, purees, jelly.
• Nuts in moderation, but peanuts should be excluded from the diet. Honey is limited and xylitol instead of sugar for concomitant obesity.
• Vegetable oils for dressing salads and ready-made dishes. It is worth choosing olive, flaxseed, corn, and wheat germ oil.
• Vegetable juices, weak coffee with added milk, weak tea, still water, bran and rosehip decoction.

Table of permitted products

Causes of liver steatosis

What is the cause of liver steatosis , why, according to statistics from the European Association of Hepatologists, is this disease widespread as an epidemic? The most common opinion is poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle. And this is a big mistake. The cause of steatosis is not an unhealthy lifestyle, but hormonal and metabolic changes; this is a disease that, in addition to lifestyle correction, nutrition and physical activity, also requires observation by a hepatologist and endocrinologist!

Drug-induced steatohepatitis

Yellowness of the sclera in liver disease

In addition to metabolic disorders, the development of steatohepatitis, not caused by alcohol intoxication, can be triggered by taking certain medications. The following groups of medications can be considered potentially dangerous to the liver:

• tetracycline antibiotics (Tetracycline, Terramycin, Biomycin)
• synthetic hormonal drugs (especially estrogens, including oral contraceptives)
• calcium antagonists (Verapamil, Diltiazem, Nifedipine)
• aminoquinolones (Plaquenil, Delagil)
• ARV drugs (almost all drugs used to treat HIV)
• antifungal drugs (Amphotericin, Ketoconazole, Fluorocytosine)
• other medications (Amiodarone, Aspirin, Halothane, Nicotinic acid, etc.)

Some people experience liver problems with long-term use of these medications. Most often, the oxidation of fatty acids is disrupted, which leads to the development of steatohepatitis or even cirrhosis of the liver. In the most severe cases, liver tissue necrosis of varying degrees may develop.

The following symptoms indicate the negative effect of drugs on the liver:

1. frequent sharp pain in the liver area
2. development of cholestatic syndrome (difficulty functioning of the gallbladder)
3. development of jaundice and yellowing of the skin
4. unpleasant sensations in the skin (itching, irritation, etc.)

The above drugs pose a particular danger to persons with already diagnosed liver disorders (risk group). Under prolonged exposure to hepatic-dangerous drugs, even minor problems in the functioning of the liver can develop into functional disorders, including fatty degeneration. The use of such drugs by persons at risk is only possible under the supervision of a doctor and with the simultaneous use of individually selected hepatoprotectors.

Treatment of liver steatosis

Like any liver disease in which it is destroyed with a possible outcome in cirrhosis, treatment of steatosis is possible only with medications that act on the cause of the disease. In the case of steatosis, the cause of the disease is metabolic and hormonal disorders , which cause changes in the structure of the liver tissue. Internal fatty liver is always accompanied by a pathological flow of fat into the pancreas, heart and blood vessels, and kidneys. This life-threatening systemic disease is called metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is treated by a hepatologist together with an endocrinologist , affecting both the causes of the disease and the consequence - steatosis. The result of treatment is always recovery if treatment is prescribed on time. In addition to drug correction of metabolic disorders, the treatment complex includes recommendations for proper nutrition and physical activity, which on their own, without treatment, do not produce results. The difficulty of treatment is due to the fact that the share of success in treatment depends on the behavior of the patients, which is why the patient’s serious awareness and desire to get results is so important.

Complications of hepatic aneurysm

When an aneurysm is complicated by a breakthrough in the bile ducts, gastrointestinal bleeding may develop - vomiting with blood, black stools. When a hepatic artery aneurysm ruptures into the free abdominal cavity, a clinical picture of profuse internal bleeding develops with cold sticky sweat, weakness, and increased heart rate.

When an arteriovenous fistula forms between the aneurysm and the portal vein, a picture of portal hypertension develops with characteristic bleeding from varicose veins of the esophagus.

It is very difficult to save a patient with a ruptured aneurysm or gastrointestinal bleeding due to a rupture of the aneurysm into the biliary tract. Therefore, if a random examination reveals an aneurysm of the hepatic artery, an urgent consultation with a vascular surgeon is necessary.

Necessary examinations for prescribing and monitoring treatment of liver steatosis

To prescribe treatment for liver steatosis, it is necessary to undergo an examination that reveals the degree of liver damage and the severity of metabolic syndrome indicators. The modern equipment of our center allows us not only to detect fatty tissue in the liver, but also to calculate the percentage of normal healthy tissue in the liver and how much non-functioning fatty tissue! This is important for treatment tactics and prognosis for recovery.

The Fibroscan device with an additional sensor for assessing steatosis allows not only to quantify the fatty tissue in the liver according to the degree of steatosis from 0 to 3, but also allows you to measure the result of treatment, which in most cases leads to complete normalization of the liver structure (steatosis 0). Treatment is prescribed individually depending on the examination results. There is no common treatment regimen for all, since metabolic and hormonal disorders can be expressed differently.

Menu (Power Mode)

Compliance with this diet must be constant or long-term until results are achieved. The diet is balanced, so it can be used constantly. The menu can be compiled according to your preferences, observing the basic principles of cooking and excluding prohibited foods. It is recommended to consume vegetables daily, the fiber of which helps eliminate excess cholesterol, and fermented milk drinks, which improve intestinal microflora.

Results of treatment of liver steatosis

Patient review:

» Dear Bella Leonidovna!
Dear Nelly Nikolaevna Tsurikova, Mushinskaya Kira Vladimirovna, girls at the reception, ultrasound diagnostic doctor, thank you all so much for organizing the treatment of my illness. You guys work wonders as a team! High-level professionals and people with a capital “P!” I am grateful to fate that I found your clinic, which really saved my life and changed it 180 degrees. Thanks to your efforts, qualifications and attention, I have become a completely healthy person. I lost 23.5 kg in 9 months, my liver has become a real factory that now works perfectly!

In general, I wish your team all the best. Do not stop! You really do a great job for people, help overcome serious illnesses.

On the eve of the New Year 2021, I would like to wish you health, family joys and love too! with best wishes, your patient from Kazan" >>> - Rustem 12/05/2018

Fully or partially limited products

• Products that have an irritating effect: smoked meats, vinegar, seasonings, spices, canned vegetables and vegetables with a high content of essential oils - garlic, onions, radishes, sorrel, celery, radishes.
• Meat and fish broths, fatty dairy products.
• Crabs, crayfish, squid, any sausages, goose and duck meat, offal, bacon, brisket, animal fats, lard due to the high cholesterol content.
• Mustard, mayonnaise, horseradish, pepper, ketchup.
• Fried eggs and other fried foods.
• Pastries, pies, baked goods, strong coffee, chocolate and cocoa.
• In case of poor tolerance - legumes and white cabbage.
• Fruits and berries that are unripe or have a sour taste (pomegranate, red currants, green apples, cranberries).
• Limited due to possible poor tolerance: tomatoes, tomato paste, sour sauerkraut.

Table of prohibited products