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Detecting Fatty Liver Disease with Fibroscan
Did you know that nearly one in four adults have an abnormal buildup of fat in the liver? Your liver works to clean toxins from your blood and processes nutrients, so it’s important to make sure it’s functioning properly. Read on to learn what you need to know about fatty liver disease and how it can be detecte
What is Fatty Liver Disease?
Fatty liver disease happens when there is a buildup of fat in your liver, also known as hepatic steatosis. Too much fat in your liver can cause inflammation and, in severe cases, lead to liver failure.
What Causes Fatty Liver Disease?
There are two main forms of fatty liver disease – alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). AFLD is caused by excessive drinking, while NAFLD does not have an exact cause.
NAFLD affects up to 25 to 30 million people in the United States and Europe. While the cause is still unclear, factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and a family history of liver disease can increase your risk.
How is Fatty Liver Disease Detected?
Fatty liver disease can develop without symptoms until it reaches advanced stages. It can be missed in routine medical care, so it’s important to be proactive in detecting it. FibroScan is a non-invasive test that helps assess the health of your liver and identify issues that might impact the quality of liver function – like fatty liver disease. Texas Diabetes & Endocrinology is one of the first endocrinology clinics in the Austin area to provide this innovative procedure!
Conducted with ultrasound-based imaging, this cutting-edge diagnostic test gauges the amount of fat in the liver and allows specialists to assess the degree of stiffness in the liver tissue. FibroScans are not painful, and no sedation is needed. The scan only takes about 15 minutes to complete and the results will be ready for your doctor to review with you during your appointment.
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There is a newer, silent epidemic striking one in four adults known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Find out if you’re at risk and about a painless, rapid test that we do here at Texas Diabetes and Endocrinology to detect it.