Specialist for Koblenz: Obesity promotes fatty liver
Fatty liver is also one of the consequences of obesity, explains specialist for Koblenz
KOBLENZ – As the body mass index rises towards obesity, i.e. morbid obesity, the risk of developing a fatty liver increases for those affected. Prof. Dr med. Dr h.c. Christian Wüster. The endocrinologist heads the Hormone and Metabolism Centre in Mainz, where patients from the Koblenz region with obesity are also treated. In medical terms, this is referred to as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Children can also be affected by this disease. NAFLD and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are a growing problem for healthcare systems worldwide.
Obesity is a risk factor for fatty liver, emphasises specialist for the Koblenz region
Patients with type 2 diabetes in particular have a higher risk of developing NAFLD or NASH. The most relevant risk factors for the development of a fatty liver problem are overweight and obesity. There is a strong correlation between the worldwide increase in overweight and obesity and the development of fatty liver disease.
According to studies, this correlation can even be stated exactly: For every BMI point, the risk of NAFLD increases by 13 to 38 per cent. If the waist circumference increases by one centimetre, the risk of a fatty liver increases by three to ten per cent. Independent risk factors for NAFLD are old age, male gender, obesity, type 2 diabetes and hypercholesterolaemia.
Specialist for patients from Koblenz: DMP aims to control the consequential damage caused by obesity
With the growing number of fatty liver cases, there is an increase in NAFLD-related deaths caused by cirrhosis and liver failure. In the USA, fatty liver is increasingly the cause of liver transplantation. For Prof Wüster, NAFLD is a serious consequence of obesity. He therefore welcomes the current development of a Desease Management Programme (DMP), with which the consequences of obesity can be better controlled. For him, the interdisciplinary care and lifelong support of patients with morbid obesity is paramount.
