What Is Steatohepatitis?

With the improvement of people's living standards, the incidence of fatty liver has indeed increased. At the same time, people's awareness of physical examinations and the popularization of examination methods have increased the number of patients with fatty liver found. It is often heard that fatty liver is detected during a physical examination, and many seemingly healthy people also wear fatty liver hats. Normal human liver tissue contains 3% to 5% of wet weight lipids, of which 2/3 are phospholipids, and there is still about 0.5% cholesterol. Neutral fat accounts for 1%, mainly the membranes that make up cell membranes and other organelles. Most fatty livers are abnormally high in triacylglycerol (triglyceride) content, which can even reach 40% to 50%.

Steatohepatitis

Overview of steatohepatitis

Incidence of steatohepatitis

Medical scientists have found that the number of people with fatty liver in China is increasing. According to statistics, about 35% of people with abnormal liver function are caused by fatty liver. A survey of more than 1,000 "white-collar workers" in Shanghai showed that the incidence of fatty liver was as high as 12.9%, and the prevalence of cadres in Nanjing was 102%. It has also been reported that the incidence of fatty liver is 20%. A B-ultrasound on 40 simple obese children in China found that 38% had fatty liver and the average age was 9 years. News from abroad is also worrying: In recent years, Japan has performed health checks on 810 children aged 4-12, with fatty liver accounting for 26%, the youngest being only 6 years old. In over-obese people and patients with diabetes, about 50% will have varying degrees of fatty liver. According to statistics, the incidence of fatty liver is about 10%. The incidence of fatty liver is 50% in obese and type 2 diabetes patients, 57.7% in alcoholics, and 24.46% in patients over 50 years old. Moreover, the affected population is still getting younger.

Fatty liver is common clinically. In Europe and America. An autopsy of previously healthy accidental deaths revealed fatty liver in 1/3. Fatty liver is present in 5% of liver puncture patients. Fatty liver has not been reported in China in the past, but it has been increasing in recent years. In the 10 years from 1988 to 1997, Zhongshan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University found 658 cases of liver puncture, and 55 cases of fatty liver were found, accounting for 84%.

Scientists have observed that the number of people with fatty liver in developed countries is generally much higher than that in developing countries. The more developed the economy, the higher the prevalence of fatty liver and the smaller the average age. In recent years, with the continuous improvement of living standards and changes in diet structure, the prevalence of fatty liver in China has increased significantly. Therefore, some people say that fatty liver is a kind of "rich disease" and "modern society disease", which makes sense.

Causes of steatohepatitis

According to comparative studies, the incidence of fatty liver is related to the following events:

Drinking alcohol; Obesity; Diabetes; Hyperlipidemia; Hypertension; High-energy diet; High animal fat diet; Irregular diet; Sitting more and less moving: Loss of spirit; @ ; @ inappropriate.

Among them, excessive drinking or excessive intake of lipids has become a major factor in the generation of fatty liver. Therefore, strengthening its prevention and control has important practical significance for improving the health level of the general public.

Onset symptoms of steatohepatitis

According to the different stages of the development of steatohepatitis, patients will also show different clinical symptoms, which can be divided into the following types.

1. The symptoms of mild fatty liver are not obvious. Many people do not feel any conscious symptoms when they have mild fatty liver, and they are only discovered by accident during a physical examination. Some mild fatty liver symptoms will show some minor gastrointestinal manifestations, such as loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and bloating. Patients often mistake it for possible indigestion and ignore it.

2. Symptoms of moderate fatty liver are similar to those of chronic hepatitis, which may include loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, pain in the liver area, or dull right upper quadrant pain. The liver may be slightly enlarged with tenderness, slightly tough texture, blunt edges, and smooth surface. A few patients may have splenomegaly and liver palms. When excessive fat deposition in the liver can cause the liver capsule to swell and the liver ligament to stretch, causing severe pain or tenderness in the right upper abdomen, fever, leukocytosis and other symptoms, which can easily be misdiagnosed as acute abdominal disease and undergo laparotomy.

3. Symptoms of severe fatty liver can include ascites and lower extremity edema, electrolyte disturbances such as hyponatremia, hypokalemia, etc. The symptoms of fatty liver are diverse. When diagnosis is difficult, liver biopsy can be used to confirm the diagnosis. ^[1]

Can steatohepatitis drink alcohol?

The liver is an important organ that is essential for maintaining life. It is the center of the body's material metabolism and is responsible for complex physiological and biochemical functions. In addition to synthesizing plasma proteins, glycogen, lipids, and vitamins, the liver is also endogenous and exogenous. Sexual substances such as bilirubin, hormones, drugs, and toxicants are metabolized, inactivated, and detoxified. All of the above-mentioned complex physiological and biochemical functions are performed in well-structured and finely functioning liver cells. Therefore, in patients with various types of hepatitis, these physiological and biochemical functions of the liver are damaged to varying degrees because of the varying degrees of parenchymal liver damage.

Why can't hepatitis patients make alcohol? After drinking, alcohol, the main component of alcohol, is quickly absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. 2% to 10% are excreted from the kidneys and lungs, and more than 90% are metabolized in the liver and oxidized to acetaldehyde by the catalysis of alcohol dehydrogenase and catalase. Ethanol and acetaldehyde have a direct toxic effect on liver cells, which can cause degeneration and necrosis of liver cells. According to observations, liver damage is related to the amount of alcohol consumed and the length of time. Alcoholic hepatitis patients drink more than 80 grams of alcohol a day, which is equivalent to two bottles of beer, one bottle of wine or two or two white wines. 80% of patients have 5 or more years. Drinking history; heavy drinking for weeks to months can cause significant alcoholic fatty liver or hepatitis. Drinking more than 180 grams of alcohol a day for 15 consecutive years, 8-15% of patients with spermatogenic cirrhosis. Continuous drinking every day is more likely to cause alcoholic liver disease than intermittent drinking. 7.1 calories per gram of ethanol. Decreasing appetite when drinking alcohol can aggravate the toxic effects of ethanol and cause poor digestion and absorption of the gastrointestinal tract. Some people have observed that the amount of protein in food is less than 25% of total calories or ethanol accounts for total calories Above 36%, the toxicity of ethanol is increased, and high-fat foods are consumed at the same time when drinking alcohol, especially fatty liver is prone to fatty liver.

In short, if a normal person drinks a small amount of alcohol, the liver can detoxify its metabolism and will not cause liver damage. However, for patients with various types of hepatitis, liver function has been affected due to liver parenchymal damage, especially the ethanol metabolism The reduced activity of various enzymes required affects the liver's detoxification of ethanol, and even a small amount of alcohol can cause the disease to worsen, so patients with hepatitis should not drink alcohol. ^[2]