Excess fat in liver likely to trigger heart disease
August 25th, 2009 - 2:47 pm ICT by IANSWashington, Aug 25 (IANS) Excess fat in the liver is more likely to trigger heart disease and diabetes, says a new study.
When fats collects in the liver, people experience serious metabolic problems like insulin resistance, which impairs the body’s ability to metabolise sugar. Having too much liver fat is known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NFLD).
Those with elevated liver fat are at particularly high risk for heart disease and diabetes, says senior study investigator Samuel Klein. They need to be treated aggressively to help them lose weight because dropping kilograms can make a big difference, adds Klein, professor at the Washington University School of Medicine - St. Louis (WUSM-SL).
“Fatty liver disease (NFLD) is completely reversible,” he says. “If you lose a small amount of weight, you can markedly reduce the fat content in your liver. In fact, even two days of calorie restriction can cause a large reduction in liver fat and improvement in liver insulin sensitivity.”
“We have found that excess fat in the liver, not visceral fat, is a key marker of metabolic dysfunction. Visceral fat might simply be an innocent bystander that is associated with liver fat,” says Klein, according to a WUSM-SL release.
The study was published online in PNAS Early Edition.
- Fat in liver, not belly, could determine heart disease risk - Aug 25, 2009
- Vitamin E can fight fatty liver disease in kids - Apr 28, 2011
- 'Use canola or olive oil for better health' - Jan 11, 2012
- Aerobic exercise 'may curb non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in obese' - Apr 14, 2011
- Scientists develop new animal model to tackle liver disease - Jul 05, 2012
- Tangerines help prevent obesity, protect against heart disease - Apr 07, 2011
- Beware of liver fat, it's the real villain in cardio-diseases - Dec 05, 2008
- Why packing on pounds is riskier for Indians - Aug 02, 2011
- Potential new target for diabetes, heart disease treatments identified - Nov 17, 2010
- Apple- or pear-shaped bodies dont really predict heart disease risk - Dec 05, 2008
- alli may help reduce dangerous fat - Jan 28, 2010
- Molecular switch behind development of fatty liver disease identified - Apr 06, 2011
- 500,000 kids in Britain risk liver disease - Jul 04, 2011
- Soy protein can lower fat accumulation in liver - Apr 23, 2012
- Link between high-fat diets, type 2 diabetes clarified - Apr 12, 2011
Tags: calorie restriction, diabetes, early edition, fat content, fat in the liver, fats, fatty liver disease, heart disease, heart disease and diabetes, high risk, innocent bystander, insulin resistance, insulin sensitivity, kilograms, marker, metabolic problems, school of medicine, visceral fat, washington university school of medicine, washington university school of medicine st louis