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Television actor and model Sana Maqbool is a contestant on Bigg Boss OTT 3 and recently got emotional while talking about dealing with a liver disease where she broke down and revealed that she has never tasted alcohol in her entire life yet she has non-alcoholic hepatitis. Crying, she said, “I have non-alcoholic hepatitis – a liver disease. I am one of those people who have never tasted alcohol in their life but have still been diagnosed with it. People mostly get to know about their liver disease when they are in the last stages of it. I have been lucky in this case as I got to know about it much earlier.”
Sana said, “In 2021, I did not understand what I was going through. There were days when I could not even get out of bed.” In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Rajeev Kovil, Head of Diabetology at Zandra Healthcare and Co-founder of the Rang De Nila initiative, shared, “Non-alcoholic hepatitis, also known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is a condition in which fat gets accumulated in the liver. The condition is not caused by excessive alcohol consumption, as the name suggests, but due to a number of factors that can lead to the development of liver inflammation and damage.”
Reason:
Dr. Rajeev Kovil explained, “Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a leading cause of liver disease worldwide. The estimated global incidence of NAFLD is 47 cases per 1,000 population and is higher in men than women. The prevalence of NAFLD in India is more than 25% globally and 9% to 32% in the general Indian population. The exact causes of non-alcoholic hepatitis are not fully understood, but are believed to be associated with factors such as obesity, insulin resistance and metabolic disorders. Individuals with conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol or hypertension are at higher risk of developing non-alcoholic hepatitis.”
symptoms:
The progression of non-alcoholic hepatitis can vary from person to person. “In some cases, the condition may remain relatively mild, with the liver able to function normally despite the presence of fat. However, in more severe cases, the inflammation can lead to the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which can eventually lead to cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and even liver failure,” explains Dr Rajeev Kovil.
“Symptoms of non-alcoholic hepatitis are often subtle in the early stages and may include fatigue, abdominal discomfort and a feeling of fullness. As the condition worsens, individuals may experience more severe symptoms, such as jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), fluid retention and difficulty clotting blood,” he said.
treatment:
According to Dr. Rajeev Kovil, treatment for non-alcoholic hepatitis usually involves addressing the underlying factors that contribute to the condition. He explained, “This may include weight loss through diet and exercise, management of diabetes or other metabolic disorders, and the use of medications to reduce inflammation and improve liver function. On March 14, 2024, resmetirom (Resdifra) became the first drug approved by the US FDA to treat patients with non-cirrhotic non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH; recently renamed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or MASH) and moderate-to-advanced hepatic fibrosis.”
He elaborated, “Resmetirom is a pill that activates the thyroid hormone receptor which reduces fat accumulation in the liver. Treatment with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists such as semaglutide and tirzepatide can reduce the risk of developing cirrhosis, liver cancer and other adverse liver outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic liver disease, although none of them have received label indications for treating NAFLD. In cases where the condition has progressed to cirrhosis or liver failure, more intensive treatments such as liver transplantation may be necessary.”
Timely detection and management of non-alcoholic hepatitis is important in preventing the development of more severe liver disease. Regular check-ups with a healthcare provider and lifestyle changes can play an important role in managing this condition and improving overall liver health.
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