More than 80% of obese people have metabolic fatty liver disease! Endoscopic gastric reduction therapy helps weight loss

Obesity is not a blessing! Overweight people, be careful about metabolic fatty liver disease! Ms. Lin, who was in her 50s, had been visiting the clinic for treatment due to chronic fatigue. The doctor found that her liver index was too high. After examination, the doctor suspected that it was caused by metabolic fatty hepatitis. The clinic doctor continued to give her traditional liver protection drugs, but the effect was limited. She was then referred to the outpatient treatment of Director Cai Kunfeng of the Department of Gastroenterology at Annan Hospital. Blood and liver biopsy tests confirmed metabolic fatty hepatitis. After one month of drug treatment, Ms. Lin successfully lost 5 kilograms, her liver index returned to normal, and her fatigue symptoms were relieved.

More than 80% of overweight patients have metabolic fatty liver disease

Director Cai Kunfeng said that due to the Chinese people's eating habits, they often consume excessive calories, do not like to exercise, have high pressure in work and life and irregular work and rest schedules. Therefore, the number of patients with metabolic fatty liver disease is gradually increasing clinically, among which more than 80% of overweight patients have metabolic fatty liver disease. Such patients usually have no obvious clinical symptoms, so they are not aware of the disease, which may lead to the progression of metabolic fatty liver disease to hepatitis. A small number of severe cases may even progress to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.

According to statistics, 5% of patients with metabolic fatty liver disease will eventually develop cirrhosis. It is speculated that insulin resistance caused by obesity and inflammatory substances released by chronic inflammation of the liver may be the cause of metabolic fatty liver disease.

Weight loss improves liver inflammation in metabolic steatohepatitis

Director Cai Kunfeng is also a specialist physician of the Obesity Medicine Association. He mentioned that abdominal ultrasound and blood biochemical tests can help patients detect the disease early, allowing doctors to intervene in treatment. The most important thing in treatment is weight control. According to medical research reports, obesity actually has a greater impact on liver fat accumulation than drinking. Weight loss can indeed improve the degree of liver inflammation in metabolic fatty hepatitis. Losing weight by more than 9% can effectively improve liver tissue, and even slight changes in weight can lead to improvement.

Cai Kunfeng, director of the Department of Gastroenterology at Annan Hospital, said that according to statistics, 5% of patients with metabolic fatty liver disease will eventually develop cirrhosis. It is speculated that insulin resistance caused by obesity and inflammatory substances released by chronic inflammation of the liver may be the cause of metabolic fatty liver disease. (Photo courtesy of Annan Hospital)

Therefore, effective diet management and moderate exercise are the first step in treatment. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RA), commonly known as weight loss shots, can also control weight loss by reducing appetite. Other drugs such as vitamin E and Stain/Niacin have also been found to be effective in small clinical studies.

Endoscopic gastric reduction therapy is minimally invasive and has no wounds on the body surface, which helps to reduce weight

Director Cai Kunfeng emphasized that according to the latest authoritative journal "Lancet" in 2022, most patients who received endoscopic gastric reduction treatment can still maintain a 25% weight loss effect after two years of follow-up. For patients with moderate obesity or above, that is, BMI>30, the Department of Gastroenterology of Annan Medical University can also perform botulinum toxin injections in the stomach through gastroscopy to delay gastric emptying and provide endoscopic gastric reduction treatment to reduce the patient's gastric capacity and achieve weight loss control goals. The advantage of this endoscopic treatment is that it is minimally invasive and leaves no wounds on the body surface. Combined with drug treatment and adjustments in diet and lifestyle habits, this is the most fundamental way to treat metabolic fatty hepatitis.