Two US ethnicities at highest risk of fatty liver disease, study shows

A new study has revealed that cases of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are on the rise among Hispanic and Mexican populations of the US, which can cause cancer and other life-threatening conditions.

The research found that the cases have been on the rise over the past three decades.

According to researchers at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society, they said, although fewer white Americans currently have the disease, rates have been increasing rapidly, 133% over three decades in this group — more than twice the rate of increase seen in Mexican Americans.

It is a condition when people develop unusual levels of fat in their liver.

The researchers while explaining data indicated that more than a third of the tens of thousands of participants in the research developed the disease known as metabolic-associated.

A co-author Dr Theodore Friedman, an endocrinologist and professor of medicine at both the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science and the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, said: "More and more people are getting extra fat in their livers."

Particular genes and disorders such as diabetes, being obese, high cholesterol and blood pressure are called risk factors for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a leading cause of liver transplantation.

"Having an apple shape rather than a pear is also linked to the disease," according to experts.

Friedman recommended people steer clear of junk foods and overly processed foods and cut back on carbs.

"It’s a disease that develops because people are eating poorly and not exercising. I always tell patients to eat more vegetables."

Fatty liver condition treatment

There were some people who were unaware of the disease, which is called a “silent disease” because it has few or no symptoms, but those with symptoms may feel discomfort in the upper right side of the abdomen, and fatigue.

National Institutes of Health noted that NAFDL is the most common cause of liver disease in the US.

"Because it’s so common in people with diabetes and obesity, doctors should be looking for it in people with those conditions," Friedman said.

The disease can be reversed but there's no medicine to treat.

"People who exercise and lose a lot of weight can revert to normal," Friedman said.

If the condition persists, it can transform into nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which causes cell damage and inflammation of the liver and eventually cirrhosis.

Weight loss drugs and fatty liver disease

Friedman was optimistic that his study will alert people with risk factors to the possibility that they might have developed fatty liver disease without knowing it.

He noted: "The new class of weight loss drugs — Ozempic, Wegovy and other GLP-1 agonists, which also help people with diabetes control their blood sugar — might aid in reversing fatty liver disease brought on by metabolic factors."

"But I think lifestyle modifications are a better choice," he underlined.

Gastroenterologist Dr Meena Bansal, director of the NASH Center of Excellence at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, said, who was not involved in the study: It’s important to realise that a genetic predisposition doesn’t mean you will get fatty liver disease. 

"The best way to avoid it is to maintain a healthy diet and exercise regularly," she added.