LIVER DISEASE
What is Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ( NAFLD )? How do I know if NAFLD is causing any harm? Indirect evidence of injury by fat in the liver is reflected by high ALT or AST levels in the blood. The more major form of injury of fatty liver is if the stiffness of the liver starts to increase, which is called fibrosis. Fibrosis can occur even with normal ALT and AST Levels. How can fibrosis of Liver be measured? The gold standard to measure fibrosis is still liver biopsy. However, liver biopsy carries a risk of bleeding and is an invasive procedure. Alternate indirect evidence can be obtained by doing either a fibroscan or an ARFI or and MR Elastography of the Liver. Can NAFLD progress to cirrhosis of Liver? Only 5-10% of patients of NAFLD progress to fibrosis. However, once fibrosis develops, a significant proportion of patients can progress to cirrhosis of Liver ( liver becoming stiff and is irreversible). NAFLD is emerging as one of the most common causes of liver cir