Experiencing dull skin and fatigue? It's time to pay attention, as your liver may be compromised!
The unhealthy habits of modern life, such as late nights for the working class, prolonged sitting for office workers, and excessive eating, smoking, and drinking for those in social settings, are eroding our liver health.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), China has the highest incidence of liver cancer globally, with 410,000 new cases annually, accounting for approximately 45% of the world's total. The annual death toll from liver cancer is around 390,000, also representing about half of the global total. Alarmingly, 70% to 80% of these liver cancer patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, losing the opportunity for surgical intervention.
The phrase "my liver is not moving" is now a popular online expression, indicating exhaustion and the inability to cope. This suggests a growing awareness of the importance of liver health.
Today, we will guide you in understanding your "precious liver" and how to proactively protect it, preventing it from "not moving" at critical times.
1. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)
Also known as metabolic steatohepatitis, NASH is prevalent in middle-aged individuals, particularly those who are overweight or obese. Severe cases can progress to liver cirrhosis.
2. Alcoholic hepatitis
Alcoholic hepatitis is a liver disease caused by long-term excessive alcohol consumption, which can lead to liver failure and upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
3. Hepatic Fibrosis & Liver Cirrhosis (HF & LC)
Hepatic fibrosis is a pathophysiological process characterized by abnormal proliferation of connective tissue in the liver caused by various pathogenic factors. It is a diffuse liver damage formed by the long-term or repeated action of one or more causes. Therefore, it is not an independent disease.
4. Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)
The pathophysiology of HCC is a complex, multi-step process. The interaction of various factors is the origin of malignant transformation of hepatocytes and the early stages of HCC development. These factors include the interaction between genetic predisposition, viral and non-viral risk factors, the cellular microenvironment and various immune cells, as well as the severity of underlying chronic liver disease.
What is commonly referred to as hepatitis?
We usually divide hepatitis into viral hepatitis, drug-induced hepatitis, alcoholic hepatitis, fatty hepatitis, and autoimmune hepatitis based on the causative factors.
According to the duration of the disease, it can be divided into acute hepatitis and chronic hepatitis.
Viral hepatitis is contagious. Hepatitis A and E are mainly transmitted through the fecal-oral route, such as eating food and water contaminated with the virus. Hepatitis B, C, and D are mainly transmitted through blood, body fluids, and other extra-intestinal routes.
Pathogenesis and Management of Liver Dysfunction
1. Pathogenesis of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
A high-fat diet leads to increased fatty acid synthesis and reduced consumption within hepatocytes, resulting in lipid accumulation and triggering an inflammatory cascade. Fatty acids in the plasma flow into the liver, increasing gluconeogenesis and inhibiting insulin signaling, leading to tissue lipid metabolic disorders, resulting in hepatitis and fibrosis.
Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota and increased inflammatory cells are also contributing factors to the development of NAFLD.
2. Pathogenesis of Alcoholic Hepatitis
With increased ethanol intake, the secretion of the adrenal glands and pituitary gland is stimulated, leading to abnormal fat synthesis and distribution. Excessive fat metabolism leads to increased oxygen consumption, causing focal fatty changes in the central lobule, thereby causing liver damage.
3. Pathogenesis of Liver Fibrosis
In the liver, the main collagen-producing cells, under pathological conditions, due to the continuous activation of Hepatic Stellate Cells (HSCs), the balance between ECM degradation and deposition is disrupted, leading to progressive liver fibrosis.
4. Pathogenesis of Liver Cirrhosis
Often caused by hepatocyte necrosis caused by viruses, or due to long-term internal inflammation, hindering hepatocyte regeneration, leading to the liver being in a long-term pathological state, and gradually hardening.
What are the typical symptoms of liver disease?
Skin manifestations of liver disease often include pruritus, a dull and lackluster appearance, and a brownish discoloration, particularly on the cheeks. Jaundice, characterized by yellowing of the skin and sclera, along with the presence of yellow urine, is also common.
Gastrointestinal symptoms vary, encompassing nausea of differing intensities, anorexia, abdominal distension, and either diarrhea or constipation, indicative of general digestive distress. Patients, especially those with acute hepatitis, frequently report a marked aversion to fatty foods.
Neurological symptoms include fatigue, lethargy, and mental depression. Peripheral neuropathy, manifesting as limb numbness, may also be present. Alcoholic hepatitis can lead to memory loss and hand tremors.