The most common cause of fatty liver is excessive alcohol consumption. In fact, this is the commonest risk factor for fatty liver in many developed countries in the world. In the local setting, diabetes is another reason why one ends up with a fatty liver. The fatty liver is usually picked up incidentally during routine blood tests or ultrasound scan of the liver as part of a screening protocol for patients with diabetes.
Other conditions which are associated with fatty liver include
- Obesity
- Hepatitis C infection
- Medication
- Genetic factors.
There are also cases with fatty liver without any apparent reason. One interesting point to note is that fatty liver may not necessarily be related to a higher BMI and can occur in slim or thin people.
Besides controlling the underlying causes of fatty liver, simple measures such as regular exercise and weight reduction can help to reverse fatty changes in the liver. Limited data also suggest that drinking coffee daily may help to reduce the effect of fatty liver. So for the coffee lovers out there, do continue to enjoy your coffee.
