One variant, officially called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), now affects one in four adults globally. Sometimes it progresses to extensive scarring known as cirrhosis, liver failure, and higher risk for liver cancer. The good news? Fatty liver disease can be prevented or reversed.

Fatty liver disease is a condition caused by irritation to the liver. Liver tissue accumulates abnormal amounts of fat in response to that injury. Viral hepatitis, certain medicines (like tamoxifen or steroids, for example), or ingesting too much alcohol can all cause fatty liver disease.

Liver Disease Prevention

The key to winning the fight against liver disease is prevention.

Understanding Liver Disease Progression

In order to understand why prevention is so important, it is helpful to know more about the progression of liver disease:

• Inflammation: The first sign of liver disease is inflammation. Inflammation is your body’s natural response to infection and injury. You may not notice any symptoms at this point, which is why liver disease testing is so important.
• Fibrosis: If your liver remains inflamed over a long period of time, the tissue becomes thick and fibrous (fibrosis). Fibrosis makes it difficult for your liver to do its job. With proper care and treatment, this condition is reversible.
• Cirrhosis: Cirrhosis, also known as chronic liver disease, happens when fibrosis becomes so severe, your liver tissue transforms into scar tissue. Cirrhosis is not reversible and increases your risk for complications, such as liver cancer.
• Liver Cancer: Liver cancer happens when cancer forms in your liver tissue. Liver cancer can develop at any stage of liver disease. Although it is possible to recover from liver cancer, some people still need a liver transplant.
• Liver failure: The most advanced stage of liver disease is liver failure. Liver failure means that your liver is no longer able to do its job. When this happens, you need a liver transplant to survive

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