• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Howard J. Luks, MD, Orthopedic Surgeon

Howard J. Luks, MD

Orthopedic Surgeon Sports Medicine Specialist

  • Articles
  • Notes
  • Podcast
  • Book
  • Education
    • Shoulder Injuries
    • Knee Injuries
    • Elbow Injuries
  • About
Blog / Notes

How to decrease your risk of developing fatty liver and heart disease

Howard J. Luks, MD Updated November 6, 2021

Decreasing your risk of fatty liver and heart disease

Ok… Have to put your science caps on for this one. But we are talking about how to decrease your risk of developing two major health problems… Fatty liver- or NAFLD and Heart Disease.

The incidence of fatty liver in the overweight population is very, very high. Fatty liver used to be most common in alcoholics… not anymore. Fatty liver or NAFLD leads to very significant downstream effects on our health. Worst case… it progresses to NASH where the liver fibroses (turns to scar tissue) and the only treatment is a liver transplant. Hep B used to be the number one reason people needed a liver transplant… not anymore. NASH is #1. NAFLD or fatty liver also leads to other inflammatory metabolic consequences and increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, and so on.

Although fatty liver is far more common in the obese (in some studies more than 50% of obese individuals have it) … it also occurs in lean people if their stomach is larger than their waist. The predictors of having NAFLD or lean fatty liver are high triglycerides, abdominal obesity, high AST, ALT (liver enzymes your physician measures at your annual physical). If those numbers are over 40, and your triglycerides are high… perhaps you should ask about whether or not an ultrasound of your liver is needed.

In addition to metabolic and genetic factors, muscle atrophy and loss of muscle strength, unhealthy eating patterns (i.e., High cholesterol and fructose intake), and changes in intestinal flora (your microbiome) are also important influencing factors that do not only promote the occurrence of fatty liver disease but also aggravate its progression. Studies have shown that the decrease of butyrate-producing Eubacterium may play an important role in the development of NAFLD. What does that mean?

You have more foreign DNA in your gut from bacteria than you have in the rest of your body. The microbiome has become a very important tool in assessing people’s health… and in moderating their risks for developing certain diseases. There will come a day soon where a stool transplant can cure disease… lead to weight loss, etc.

The bacterial species mentioned above is critically important to us maintaining good health. Why? Well… when the bacteria produce butyrate it causes many downstream effects that are beneficial to our health. Many! It decreases gut inflammation, decreases the risk of colon cancer, heart disease, NAFLD, and has been associated with decreased frailty, and improved cognition. WOW. Sounds crazy… it’s not. Check out the diagram below… those are some of the downstream effects of what happens when these bacteria are active in our gut.

Do we all have those bacteria? No. Why? Our diets. These bacteria thrive on lower glucose, lower fructose, higher fiber diets. So they are relatively absent in the guts of people who eat a typical American diet and they are higher in people who eat a more Mediterranean Diet. They thrive on fiber… that can be psyllium husk too… (Don’t go out and put down a cup of this a day… that’s not healthy either). The best way to increase fiber is to increase vegetables and legumes. The gassy feeling/bloating goes away as these bacteria reappear in your gut and start processing the fiber within a few weeks.

These same bacteria are capable of lowering cholesterol… as is the fiber itself. The fiber can bind to cholesterol in your intestine and prevent it from being reabsorbed into your liver. The bacteria can change cholesterol to another compound that we excrete.

This is a fascinating area of study… food as medicine. The more we learn about our microbiome the more fascinating it becomes.

If you have fatty liver…. or are suspicious talk with your doctor. In its early stages, it is treatable. NAFLD can take many years off your life… and unless you look for it you will not know it exists.

https://www.frontiersin.org/…/fendo.2021.744710/full
https://www.tandfonline.com/…/10…/19490976.2020.1802866

Categories: Notes

Disclaimer:  this information is for your education and should not be considered medical advice regarding diagnosis or treatment recommendations. Some links on this page may be affiliate links. Read the full disclaimer.
Longevity... Simplified: Living A Longer, Healthier Life Shouldn’t Be Complicated

My new book is available now.

“The seven simple steps to make ‘longevity simplified’, will help to improve your metabolic health right now.” – Dr. Neil Meigh

Learn More
Read Reviews

Related Articles

Do all proximal hamstring tears require surgery?
man in green crew neck t-shirt sitting on black office rolling chair
Sitting is not the new smoking
vegetables for weight loss and gut health
Making the transition to a Plant-Based Diet
Benefits of exercise
Exercise reduces chronic inflammation- a known killer.
weight loss and exercise
Maintaining Weight Loss is Hard… Why?
vegetables for weight loss and gut health
Obesity rates, demographics, and the power of simple changes
Howard J. Luks, MD

Howard J. Luks, MD is an orthopedic surgeon & sports medicine specialist. An expert in shoulder, knee, and other sports injuries, he is widely known as one of the country’s best orthopedic surgeons.

Book Appointment · About · Contact

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube

Like what you’re reading?

Get the latest posts in your inbox

Primary Sidebar

Howard J. Luks, MD is an orthopedic surgeon & sports medicine specialist. An expert in shoulder, knee, and other sports injuries, he is widely known as one of the country’s best orthopedic surgeons.

Book Appointment · About · Contact

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube

Like what you’re reading?

Get the latest posts in your inbox

Longevity... Simplified: Living A Longer, Healthier Life Shouldn’t Be Complicated

My new book is available now.

Learn More
Read Reviews

Reader Favorites

  • Batters shoulder posterior labral tear
    Batter’s Shoulder : Posterior Labral Tears
  • calcific tendonitis and severe shoulder pain
    Why Does My Shoulder Hurt So Much?
  • LEg exercises improve longevity
    Runners require strength too: What to do and when to do it
  • lactate polarized training
    Lactate, the lactate shuttle, and lactate threshold workouts in polarized training
  • Zone 2 heart rate training
    Zone 2 Heart Rate Training For Longevity and Performance
  • knee swelling
    Pain In The Front Of The Knee: 6 Common Causes
  • should I have surgery
    Sometimes our joints just hurt, and it’s ok not to know why
  • Polarized training for runners
    Polarized training for everyday runners: Part 1

Howard J Luks, MD

Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine
128 Ashford Avenue
Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522

Phone: (914)-559-1900
Book Appointment

Pages

  • About
  • Upcoming Books
  • Testimonials
  • In The News
  • Media Photos
  • Contact

Topics

  • Shoulder
  • Knee
  • Elbow
  • Metabolic Health
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Training

More

  • COVID
  • Ankle
  • Hip
  • PRP
  • Running
  • Sports Medicine
  • Articles
  • Notes
  • Podcast
  • Book
  • Education
  • About

© 2023 · Howard J Luks, MD · Disclaimer & Terms · Privacy Policy
The information on this site is not intended or implied to be medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
This site should be used for informational purposes only.