In the last month, Maliha Ahmad, MD, has told two people in their 40s that they have cirrhosis of the liver, which may eventually require a liver transplant. The patients’ liver damage did not result from heavy drinking, or from hepatitis contracted from injecting illegal drugs. Rather, the physician explains, both patients have a severe form of fatty liver disease, which increasingly is being recognized as yet another serious consequence of America’s obesity epidemic.

“People know that being overweight or obese contributes to their risk for heart disease and diabetes, but it’s important that they also realize that excess weight can cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD,” says Dr. Ahmad, a hepatologist at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson who specializes in liver disease.

Maliha Ahmad, MD, Internal Medicine

Dr. Ahmad notes that NAFLD is very common, affecting more than one-quarter of adults in the United States, and has become one of the leading causes of liver transplantation. “NAFLD can be defined as the deposition of fat in the liver due to causes other than excessive alcohol use,” the physician explains. She continues, “Many people with NAFLD have no significant issues, particularly at first. In other cases, liver cells are replaced by scar tissue in a process called fibrosis, which impairs liver function. A subset of people with NAFLD develop a more serious condition, called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH, that involves inflammation and scarring, which damages the liver and may lead to cirrhosis. Cirrhosis prevents the liver from working properly and can be fatal in its own right, or can contribute to death by increasing a person’s risk for liver cancer.”

The physician explains that belly fat, known as “abdominal adiposity” in medical terms and sometimes referred to as a “spare tire” in common parlance, is associated with a more aggressive course of fatty liver disease, and appears to put people at increased risk for NASH. As more young adults — and even adolescents — carry excess weight around their midsection, Dr. Ahmad says the average age at which fatty liver disease is diagnosed — and begins causing health problems — is declining.

The good news, Dr. Ahmad adds, is that people can limit and sometimes even reverse the impact of NAFLD — and avoid the potential for that grim progression of liver damage — by taking several steps that also are beneficial for their overall health.

Keeping Your Liver Healthy:

• Eating foods rich in antioxidants and Vitamin E
• Cutting back on processed foods, greasy foods and those high in carbohydrates
• Not drinking alcohol
• Being physically active
• Obtaining adequate sleep
• Losing weight, with even a 5% reduction in total weight shown to reverse some of the liver scarring seen in NAFLD

Dr. Ahmad urges people who are concerned about fatty liver disease or other potential consequences of being overweight to consult their primary care provider. “It’s important to act now to make lifestyle changes to improve your health, so that you hopefully can avoid a host of weight-related problems down the road,” she says.

When seeing a hepatologist such as Dr. Ahmad is warranted, those specialists can employ sophisticated blood tests and imaging technologies to assess the extent of fatty liver disease and formulate a comprehensive care plan.

For more information on the gastroenterology and hepatology services offered at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center, call (973) 754-2315 or visit www.stjosephshealth.org.

St. Joseph’s Health … World-Class Care

St. Joseph’s Health is a world-class hospital and health care network supported by leading and renowned physicians, nurses and care teams. The organization operates a full continuum of care, including a regional tertiary care medical center, a state-designated children’s hospital, an acute care hospital, rehabilitation and long-term facilities, and comprehensive home care. St. Joseph’s University Medical Center is a five-time recipient of the Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence and was awarded the prestigious Lantern Award^™ by the Emergency Nurses Association, one of only 11 hospitals selected nationwide. St. Joseph’s Wayne Medical Center is growing and expanding to meet the needs of northern New Jersey communities. The hospital features comprehensive services including a state-designated Primary Stroke Center, dedicated Geriatric Emergency Department, and advanced robotic-assisted surgery for less pain and faster recovery.

To learn more about the clinical services provided throughout St. Joseph’s Health, call (973) 754-2000 or visit www.StJosephsHealth.org.