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Five Ways You Can Take Care of Your Liver
1-Manage Your Medications
When medicines are taken incorrectly – by taking too much or the wrong type or by mixing – the liver can be harmed.
Follow dosing instructions
Talk to a doctor or pharmacist often about the medicines you are taking
Making sure you take your prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medicine, as well as vitamins, supplements, and alternative therapies properly is important for the health of your liver and for your overall health
Why is Managing your Medications important to liver health?
Every medicine, vitamin, supplement that you take passes through the liver, including all the medicines you take:
Who is at risk for medication-related problems?
More people than ever before are taking medications to control chronic (long-lasting) medical conditions. The number of prescription and over-the-counter drugs continues to grow, and the number of conditions that can be treated with drugs is on the rise, too. Unfortunately, the potential for drug-related problems is also increasing. Drug-related problems include: adverse side effects, duplication (taking two or more drugs with the same effects), and interactions with other medications.
Prescription and OTC medications, supplements, vitamins, and alternative therapies all have potential interactions.
It is important to Manage Your Medications to prevent these negative drug interactions.
People who take a number of different medications, often for multiple conditions, are at risk for possible dangerous drug interactions and overdose. Older adults and children are also at risk because their bodies process medication differently. Both can be more sensitive to dosage amounts and side effects of medications than young and middle-aged adults. Before administering medications to children or older adults, ask your doctor for specific instructions.
Click Here : To Read More About Managing Your Medications
Source-How to Choose the Right Over-the-Counter Painkiller
Choosing a painkiller off the drug store shelf can be, well, painful. To offer some relief, Consumer Reports Health released its "Best Buy Drugs" -- a 22-page report that compares the effectiveness, safety and price of some of the top brands (and generics) for pain killing.
Acetaminophen
The drug known by most people as Tylenol is another mild pain reliever. It is not an NSAID, so it won't quell inflammation. However, it won't irritate the stomach, either
"Acetaminophen is better for people who have stomach troubles," Schmitz said. "It has been a good drug for children as well."
The drug is good for treating aches and pains not related to injury or inflammation. But because it's metabolized in the liver, it can have serious side effects if taken at high doses or with alcohol.
"The most significant danger of high doses acetaminophen is liver damage and even liver failure," said Dr. Doris Cope, professor and vice chairman of pain at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Acetaminophen use should be avoided in people who have consumed alcohol or are dehydrated, or who have kidney or liver problems.
Because of its potential to cause serious harm at high doses, people should be careful when taking combination drugs that contain acetaminophen, according to Dr. Carol Warfield, chair of anesthesia, critical care and pain medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
Certain prescription painkillers also contain acetaminophen, opening the door for unintentional overdoses.
"In a recent study, fewer than 15 percent of patients knew that commonly prescribed pain medications [such as Percocet and Vicodin] contained acetaminophen," said the University of Pittsburgh's Cope...Continue reading...
1-Manage Your Medications
When medicines are taken incorrectly – by taking too much or the wrong type or by mixing – the liver can be harmed.
Follow dosing instructions
Talk to a doctor or pharmacist often about the medicines you are taking
Making sure you take your prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medicine, as well as vitamins, supplements, and alternative therapies properly is important for the health of your liver and for your overall health
Why is Managing your Medications important to liver health?
Every medicine, vitamin, supplement that you take passes through the liver, including all the medicines you take:
- Over-the-counter medicines
- Prescription medicines
- Vitamins
- Dietary supplements
- Alternative medicines
Who is at risk for medication-related problems?
More people than ever before are taking medications to control chronic (long-lasting) medical conditions. The number of prescription and over-the-counter drugs continues to grow, and the number of conditions that can be treated with drugs is on the rise, too. Unfortunately, the potential for drug-related problems is also increasing. Drug-related problems include: adverse side effects, duplication (taking two or more drugs with the same effects), and interactions with other medications.
Prescription and OTC medications, supplements, vitamins, and alternative therapies all have potential interactions.
It is important to Manage Your Medications to prevent these negative drug interactions.
People who take a number of different medications, often for multiple conditions, are at risk for possible dangerous drug interactions and overdose. Older adults and children are also at risk because their bodies process medication differently. Both can be more sensitive to dosage amounts and side effects of medications than young and middle-aged adults. Before administering medications to children or older adults, ask your doctor for specific instructions.
Click Here : To Read More About Managing Your Medications
Source-How to Choose the Right Over-the-Counter Painkiller
Choosing a painkiller off the drug store shelf can be, well, painful. To offer some relief, Consumer Reports Health released its "Best Buy Drugs" -- a 22-page report that compares the effectiveness, safety and price of some of the top brands (and generics) for pain killing.
Acetaminophen
The drug known by most people as Tylenol is another mild pain reliever. It is not an NSAID, so it won't quell inflammation. However, it won't irritate the stomach, either
"Acetaminophen is better for people who have stomach troubles," Schmitz said. "It has been a good drug for children as well."
The drug is good for treating aches and pains not related to injury or inflammation. But because it's metabolized in the liver, it can have serious side effects if taken at high doses or with alcohol.
"The most significant danger of high doses acetaminophen is liver damage and even liver failure," said Dr. Doris Cope, professor and vice chairman of pain at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Acetaminophen use should be avoided in people who have consumed alcohol or are dehydrated, or who have kidney or liver problems.
Because of its potential to cause serious harm at high doses, people should be careful when taking combination drugs that contain acetaminophen, according to Dr. Carol Warfield, chair of anesthesia, critical care and pain medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
Certain prescription painkillers also contain acetaminophen, opening the door for unintentional overdoses.
"In a recent study, fewer than 15 percent of patients knew that commonly prescribed pain medications [such as Percocet and Vicodin] contained acetaminophen," said the University of Pittsburgh's Cope...Continue reading...
2- Nutrition
What does nutrition have to do with your liver?
Nutrition and the liver are interrelated in many ways. Some functions are well understood; others are not. Since everything we eat, breathe and absorb through our skin must be refined and detoxified by the liver, special attention to nutrition and diet can help keep the liver healthy. In a number of different kinds of liver disease, nutrition takes on considerably more importance.
Why is the liver so important in nutrition?
85-90% of the blood that leaves the stomach and intestines carries important nutrients to the liver where they are converted into substances the body can use.
The liver performs many unique and important metabolic tasks as it processes carbohydrates, proteins, fats and minerals to be used in maintaining normal body functions.
Carbohydrates, or sugars, are stored as glycogen in the liver and are released as energy between meals or when the body's energy demands are high. In this way, the liver helps to regulate the blood sugar level, and to prevent a condition called hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. This enables us to keep an even level of energy throughout the day. Without this balance, we would need to eat constantly to keep up our energy.
Proteins reach the liver in their simpler form called amino acids. Once in the liver, they are either released to the muscles as energy, stored for later use, or converted to urea for excretion in the urine. Certain proteins are converted into ammonia, a toxic metabolic product, by bacteria in the intestine or during the breakdown of body protein. The ammonia must be broken down by the liver and made into urea which is then excreted by the kidneys. The liver also has the unique ability to convert certain amino acids into sugar for quick energy.
Fats cannot be digested without bile, which is made in the liver, stored in the gallbladder, and released as needed into the small intestine. Bile (specific bile "acids"), acts somewhat like a detergent, breaking apart the fat into tiny droplets so that it can be acted upon by intestinal enzymes and absorbed. Bile is also essential for the absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K, the fat soluble vitamins. After digestion, bile acids are reabsorbed by the intestine, returned to the liver, and recycled as bile once again.
Diet For Advanced Liver Disease
Source-Cirrhosis and advanced liver disease
If your condition has progressed to cirrhosis, there are additional considerations you will need to make in your diet to support your liver, and asking to be referred for dietary advice is recommended.
If your condition has progressed to cirrhosis, there are additional considerations you will need to make in your diet to support your liver, and asking to be referred for dietary advice is recommended.
The damage present in cirrhosis stops the liver working properly and affects its ability to store and release glycogen, a chemical which is used to provide energy when you need it. When this happens, the body uses its own muscle tissue to provide energy between meals. This can lead to malnutrition, muscle wasting and weakness. Around two in ten (20%) people with compensated cirrhosis and six to nine people out of ten (60 - 90%) with decompensated cirrhosis, will become malnourished as their disease progresses2,17.
Compensated cirrhosis
If you have compensated cirrhosis – where your liver is severely scarred but there are enough healthy cells in your liver to perform all of its functions adequately – you may feel quite well.
It is important to have a well-balanced diet to ensure you are getting enough carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. Most people with cirrhosis need to take in more energy (kcals) and protein than healthy people of the same weight. You should aim to have a protein and a starch food with every meal, particularly breakfast and evening meals, and to eat 25-35kcal and 1-1.2g of protein for every kg of your body weight per day2.
If you are underweight then you will need to increase your energy and protein intake further. Snacking between meals can top up your calories and protein, as can the addition of a variety of supplements that your dietitian will recommend. A bedtime snack is especially effective.
Try to eat regularly, say every two to three hours. Suitable snacks include:
teacake toast crackers cereal fruit milky drinks Some people with cirrhosis may develop bone thinning (osteopaenia / osteoporosis). This is diagnosed by bone density scanning (DXA scan). If the scan shows you have this condition, it is likely that your doctor will provide you with supplements of vitamin D and /or calcium to reduce the risk of bone fracture9.
Decompensated cirrhosis
Cirrhosis may progress to become decompensated – where the liver is not capable of performing all of its normal functions resulting in a number of complications including, fluid retention and mental confusion (encephalopathy).
If you have decompensated cirrhosis you will need expert dietary advice. A high energy, high protein diet is likely to be recommended to help your liver function (35-40kcal and 1.5g of protein for every kg of your body weight per day)2. You may need supplemental drinks and some specific dietary measures to manage some of the complications of your cirrhosis. It is very important that you have a good diet; your doctors and dietitian are unlikely to suggest any dietary restrictions without careful assessment.
Fluid retention
Some people with cirrhosis get a build-up of fluid in the stomach area (ascites)26 and swelling of the feet and legs (oedema). These symptoms may be treated with drugs called diuretics (also known as water pills). Sometimes the excess fluid in the abdomen will be drained away using a tube, particularly if you are very uncomfortable.
Although you may feel bloated, it is important that you continue to drink enough fluids so that you don’t dehydrate.
You can help to control fluid retention by reducing the amount of common salt (sodium chloride) in your food26. However, while it is a good idea to cut out foods with a very high salt content, it can be harmful to change to a diet that is too low in salt without guidance from a dietitian.Your taste buds become more sensitive to salt as you eat less of it. It is quite easy to cut down salt in the food you prepare yourself, but most of the salt we eat is added to foods by the manufacturers5. A dietitian can advise you on which foods you can eat and which you should avoid.
It is likely that you will be recommended to reduce the amount of sodium (salt) in your diet to around 5.2g of salt per day27.
Foods which you may think are low in salt can surprise you, reading the labels on the food you buy will help you to monitor your intake more carefully5.
Fresh foods should be eaten wherever possible as they are generally lower in salt than canned or processed foods. Try to buy foods labelled ‘low salt’ or ‘no added salt’. A quick way to tell if your food is high in salt is to look at the nutritional information on the label. Look for the amount of salt per 100g, if there is more than 1.5g salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium) then it is high in salt, anything up to 0.3g salt or less per 100g (or 0.1g sodium) is low in salt.
Ideas for reducing your salt intake
Avoid adding salt to meals at the table. A small amount can be added during cooking if need be. Try making your own stock and not adding salt, as stock cubes, bouillon cubes and gravy granules can be high in salt5. Avoid packet and tinned soups if possible. Tinned vegetables, including baked beans, can be high in salt. Look for low-salt or no-salt versions. Frozen vegetables are lower in salt. Smoked and tinned fish, including salmon, tuna and pilchards in brine contain a lot of salt. Only have these occasionally or try the ones tinned in oil. Do not eat cured meats – including ham, bacon, sausages, and salami. Use cold cooked fresh meat, poultry or eggs instead. Full-fat hard cheese is an excellent source of protein, so include it in your diet but do not have it every day. Ready meals and sauces are high in salt so try to look for low salt alternatives and have these less often. Pasta and ‘cook-in’ sauces can be used if no other salt is added to the meal. Bovril, Marmite and all yeast extracts are high in salt and so should be avoided. Choose unsalted butter. Certain bottled waters are high in sodium – check the labels carefully.
Medications
It is also important to be aware that some prescription and over the counter medications have a high salt content. If the sodium content on the labeling of your medication is not clear, or you are unsure if it is suitable, then your pharmacist or doctor should be able to advise you28.
Salt is not the only way to make your food taste better, instead try: freshly ground black pepper lemon juice on fish or meat redcurrant jelly, apricots, rosemary or garlic for lamb apple or gooseberry sauce with pork ginger, garlic and spring onions with mixed vegetables olive oil and vinegar with salad and vegetables mustard powder or nutmeg with mashed potato various home-made sauces – such as onion sauce made with milk and garlic – used instead of gravy try using different types of onion – brown, red, spring onions, shallots or leeks toasted and ground sesame seeds added to pastries, breads and stir-fries washed and finely chopped coriander root in soups, stews and stock try adding fresh herbs, lime, garlic, chilli and ginger to pasta dishes, vegetables and meat.
Mental confusion (hepatic encephalopathy)
Some people with cirrhosis develop poor memory and concentration. They can become confused and may even lose consciousness. This happens because the damaged liver is unable to break down toxins from the bowel which then enter the bloodstream and are carried to the brain.
It can occur when a person with cirrhosis also has some other problem such as diarrhoea, vomiting, dehydration, constipation, infection or bleeding. The liver cannot cope with the extra stress. Treatment includes tackling the underlying medical problem and paying careful attention to diet, particularly to eating enough protein.
Historically people with hepatic encephalopathy were treated with a low protein diet. It is now recognised that this was the wrong approach and that a high protein diet will help to improve liver function29,30.
Many internet sites still wrongly suggest that those with hepatic encephalopathy should restrict dietary protein and some healthcare professionals working outside the specialist liver units may also not know about this change in management.
You are likely to be advised:
to spread your protein intake over the waking hours, eating four to six snack meals a day rather than one or two bigger main meals to eat a late-evening snack high in carbohydrate to help support your liver during the night poultry, fish, eggs and cheese are good sources of protein as an alternative to red meat starchy foods such as potatoes, rice, pasta and cereals help to provide energy slowly over a longer period. If your appetite is poor and you are not able to eat snacks, you may need to take high-protein and high-calorie drinks on the advice of your dietitian or doctor. See the ‘Coping with eating difficulties’ section. Controlling blood sugar If you have too much sugar (glucose) in your blood, it is known as hyperglycaemia. This can occur in some people with cirrhosis. You may be advised by your dietitian to follow a diet similar to the one used by people with diabetes. This means avoiding foods that are high in sugar but otherwise eating a well-balanced diet. It is important to eat enough calories and protein to keep well nourished; the energy lost by cutting down on sugar must be replaced from another source.
Link:
Low-Sodium Diet Guidelines
Salt - Today In The News
Salt Shakedown -- How to avoid hidden sodium at the grocery store
Uploaded by JohnsHopkinsMedicine on Jan 11, 2012
Join Johns Hopkins registered dietitian, Arielle Rosenberg, as she walks through the aisles and offers suggestions on how to lower salt intake -- but not compromise flavor.
(Boston) Jan 11– A review article by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) debunks the widely-believed concept that hypertension, or high blood pressure, is the result of excess salt causing an increased blood volume, exerting extra pressure on the arteries. Published online in the Journal of Hypertension, the study demonstrates that excess salt stimulates the sympathetic nervous system to produce adrenalin, causing artery constriction and hypertension.
The research was led by Irene Gavras, MD, and Haralambos Gavras, MD, both professors of medicine at BUSM.
"The purpose of this paper is to correct an erroneous concept that has prevailed for many years, even though scientific evidence has mounted against it," said Irene Gavras, who is also a physician in Boston Medical Center's Hypertension practice.
The term "volume-expanded hypertension" implies that excess salt leads to the retention of extra fluid within the arterial circulatory system, causing an increase in blood volume and added pressure on the arterial walls. However, research has shown that conditions characterized by the expansion of blood volume from other causes, such as the secretion of antidiuretic hormone or the excessive elevation of blood sugar, do not cause a rise in blood pressure because the extra fluid is accommodated by the distention of capillaries and veins.
"The body's circulatory system is a highly flexible vascular system with the capacity to open up new capillaries and distend veins in order to accommodate increased fluid volume," said Irene Gavras.
Through a review of numerous studies, the researchers demonstrated that the mechanism of hypertension resulting from the excessive consumption and retention of salt stimulates the sympathetic nervous system in the brain to increase adrenaline production. The increased adrenalin being circulated throughout the body causes the arteries to constrict, which results in resistance to blood flow and a decrease in circulatory volume.
The over-activation of the sympathetic nervous system – part of the autonomic nervous system that helps maintain the body's homeostasis – has been recognized clinically as a characteristic of hypertension that accompanies renal failure, which is the most typical example of elevated blood pressure from excessive salt retention. Diuretics, which remove excess salt, are widely used to treat this type of hypertension. However, this study provides convincing evidence that the sympathetic nervous system should be the focus of further investigations into treatments for hypertension.
"The implication of our findings shows that the optimal treatment for hypertension, for cases associated with renal failure, should not only include diuretics but also the use of drugs that
This research was supported by a series National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants.
Originally established in 1848 as the New England Female Medical College, and incorporated into Boston University in 1873, Boston University School of Medicine today is a leading academic medical center with an enrollment of more than 700 medical students and more than 800 masters and PhD students. Its 1,246 full and part-time faculty members generated more than $335 million in funding in the 2009-2010 academic year for research in amyloidosis, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cancer, infectious disease, pulmonary disease and dermatology among others. The School is affiliated with Boston Medical Center, its principal teaching hospital, the Boston and Bedford Veterans Administration Medical Centers and 16 other regional hospitals as well as the Boston HealthNet.
Liver Health - Dietary fiber
Diet For A Healthy Liver
A balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, animal protein with a fat - carbohydrate - protein ratio of 30% - 50% - 20% "unless specific problems such as diabetes, kidney disease etc dictate otherwise."
A balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, animal protein with a fat - carbohydrate - protein ratio of 30% - 50% - 20% "unless specific problems such as diabetes, kidney disease etc dictate otherwise."
Eat from all the food groups: grains, protein, dairy, fruits, vegetables, fats, and foods that have a lot of fiber such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads, rice and cereals.
Read more here....
Today In The News - Dietary fiber
Review confirms benefits of more roughage in the diet
We should all be eating more dietary fiber to improve our health - that's the message from a health review by scientists in India. The team has looked at research conducted into dietary fiber during the last few decades across the globe and now suggests that to avoid initial problems, such as intestinal gas and loose stool, it is best to increase intake gradually and to spread high-fiber foods out throughout the day, at meals and snacks. Writing in the International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health, the team offers fruit, vegetables, whole-grain foods, such as muesli and porridge, beans and pulses, as readily available foods rich in dietary fiber.
Dietary fiber, also known as roughage, is the general term of the non-digestible parts of the fruit and vegetable products we eat. There are two forms soluble and insoluble. Soluble (prebiotic, viscous) fiber that is readily broken down or fermented in the colon into physiologically active byproducts and gases. The second form is insoluble fiber, which is metabolically inert, but absorbs water as it passes through the digestive system, providing bulk for the intestinal muscles to work against and easing defecation.
Vikas Rana of the Rain Forest Research Institute, in Assam, India, and colleagues point out that research has shown that modern food habits have, it seems, led to an increase in the incidence of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and type 2 diabetes. These are growing more common even in developing nations where a "western" diet of highly processed foods, high in sugars and saturated fats, beef and dairy products and low in dietary fiber is displacing more traditional options. The team suggests that evidence points to a loss of dietary fiber in the diet as being a major risk factor for health problems but one of the simplest to remedy without recourse to major changes in diet or the addition of supplements or so-called functional foods and nutraceuticals to the diet.
Given that dietary fiber has physiological actions such as reducing cholesterol and attenuating blood glucose, maintaining gastrointestinal health, and positively affecting calcium bioavailability and immune function, it is important for the current generation and future generations that this component of our diets be reasserted through education and information.
"Consuming adequate quantities of DF can lead to improvements in gastrointestinal health, and reduction in susceptibility to diseases such as diverticular disease, heart disease, colon cancer, and diabetes. Increased consumption has also been associated with increased satiety and weight loss," the team concludes. Given the ready availability particularly in the West and in the relatively richer parts of the developing world of vegetables, fruit and other foods high in dietary fiber it is a matter of recommending that people eat more dietary fiber rather than consistently taking the unhealthy low-fiber option throughout their lives.
"Dietary fiber and human health" in Int. J. Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health, 2011, 4, 101-118
3-Stop Smoking
Smoking causes many health problems including heart disease, strokes and cancer. Smoking may also lead to a worsening of gum conditions and dry mouth associated with hepatitis C. There is some evidence that suggests higher rates of particular cancer types among smokers if they are also hepatitis C positive.
Smoking marijuana on a daily basis has also been significantly associated with the progression of fibrosis in people with hepatitis C.
.
Source - Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis All May Promote Liver Disease Progression in People with Chronic Hepatitis C.
In 2008 a study suggested that cigarette smoking may enhance activity grade in patients with chronic hepatitis C, thereby increasing progression of fibrosis. This assumption mostly relies on epidemiological evidences in the absence of pathogenic studies.
In 2008 a study suggested that cigarette smoking may enhance activity grade in patients with chronic hepatitis C, thereby increasing progression of fibrosis. This assumption mostly relies on epidemiological evidences in the absence of pathogenic studies.
Cigarette Smokers and Fibrosis
. In this older study authors looked at liver biopsies from 310 patients with chronic HCV who were under going their first liver biopsy. They then went on to compare those biopsies with the patients who were current cigarette smokers (176 patients) or former cigarette smokers (56 patients). Last but not least, biopsies from patients who had never smoked (77 patients).
They found that current and former smokers had more inflammation and scarring of their livers than did nonsmokers. This finding could not be explained by other factors, such as concurrent alcohol use, that are known to aggravate the inflammation and scarring in hepatitis C. The authors concluded that smoking cigarettes could worsen their liver disease.
Smoking and Liver Cancer
Cancer among males in BC and Canada
Issue: BCMJ, Vol. 53, No. 10, December 2011, page(s) 541-546 Articles
Gender differences in cancer incidence and mortality rates can be attributed in part to modifiable risk factors—smoking, alcohol consumption, and occupational exposure to carcinogens—that more commonly affect men than women, and to fewer screening opportunities for men..view study.
Researchers found a synergistic link between smoking and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, leading to a more than 136-fold increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in men, according to a team at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.Published in 2008 in the International Journal of Cancer, researchers investigated HCC and the risk factors such as smoking in men and women who have HCV.
The Results:
· Men with HCV who smoke have a more than 136-fold increased risk of HCC.
· Women with HCV who consume large amounts of alcohol have a more than 13-fold increased risk of HCC.
Links
2011 Abstracts - Source Pubmed
2011- Smoking, hepatitis B virus infection, and development of hepatocellular carcinoma.
2011- Smoking as an independent risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma: the Singapore Chinese Health Study.
4-Weight Gain: Maintaining A Healthy Weight
People with hepatitis C who are overweight increase the likelihood of fatty deposits in their liver. In some instances they will be advised to reduce their weight in order to avoid or improve fat-related liver abnormalities.
In addition, it is evident that patients with a normal weight have a higher response rate to hepatitis C therapy .
Overweight patients with a fatty liver who subsequently reduce their weight are likely to experience an improvement in fat-related liver abnormalities. Consequently, people with chronic hepatitis C should try to maintain a normal weight in order to avoid additional stress of their liver.
Fatty Liver And HCV
There are two different forms of steatosis (Fatty Liver) that may be found in people with HCV: Metabolic steatosis and HCV-induced steatosis
Metabolic steatosis can result from obesity, raised blood fat levels (hyperlipidemia), insulin resistance and type II diabetes and is similar to the type of fatty infiltration caused by excessive alcohol consumption and that is also found in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver (NASH).
Metabolic steatosis is not triggered by the hepatitis C virus; however the combination of this form of steatosis and the presence of HCV can lead to a more rapid progression of scarring or fibrosis.
HCV-induced steatosis is fatty infiltration that is directly caused by the presence of the virus. It is possible for people with HCV to have both forms of steatosis simultaneously.
Genotypes and Fatty Liver Disease:
Although it seems that all genotypes can trigger steatosis, the risk of developing steatosis is significantly higher for people with genotype 3. There is a complex reaction between the genotype 3 virus and liver cells that is not seen in other genotypes that makes this group at much higher risk of developing the condition. Around 40% of people with hepatitis C have steatosis, compared to about 14% to 31% of the general population. However, 60% - 80% of people with genotype 3 have moderate or severe steatosis
Link
AASLD: Fatty Liver May Benefit from Mediterranean Diet
In The NewsMetabolic steatosis is not triggered by the hepatitis C virus; however the combination of this form of steatosis and the presence of HCV can lead to a more rapid progression of scarring or fibrosis.
HCV-induced steatosis is fatty infiltration that is directly caused by the presence of the virus. It is possible for people with HCV to have both forms of steatosis simultaneously.
Genotypes and Fatty Liver Disease:
Although it seems that all genotypes can trigger steatosis, the risk of developing steatosis is significantly higher for people with genotype 3. There is a complex reaction between the genotype 3 virus and liver cells that is not seen in other genotypes that makes this group at much higher risk of developing the condition. Around 40% of people with hepatitis C have steatosis, compared to about 14% to 31% of the general population. However, 60% - 80% of people with genotype 3 have moderate or severe steatosis
Link
AASLD: Fatty Liver May Benefit from Mediterranean Diet
Jan 2012
Obesity, Hepatitis C Infection Linked to Liver Cancer Risk
People who are overweight and those infected with hepatitis C are at an increased risk of developing deadly liver cancer, say scientists.
Two recent Mayo Clinic studies offer a clearer picture of the rise of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or liver cancer, which has tripled in the U.S. in the last three decades and has a 10 to 12 percent five-year survival rate when detected in later stages. "The studies illuminate the importance of identifying people with risk factors in certain populations to help catch the disease in its early, treatable stages," said W. Ray Kim, M.D., a specialist in Gastroenterology and Hepatology and principal investigator of one study.
Dr. Kim's research group looked at several decades of records in the Rochester Epidemiology Project, a database that accounts for an entire county's inpatient and outpatient care. The study found the overall incidence of HCC in the population (6.9 per 100,000) is higher than has been estimated for the nation based on data from the National Cancer Institute (5.1 per 100,000).
The study also found that HCC, which two decades ago tended to be caused by liver-scarring diseases such as cirrhosis from alcohol consumption, is now occurring as a consequence of hepatitis C infection. "The liver scarring from hepatitis C can take 20 to 30 years to develop into cancer. We're now seeing cancer patients in their 50s and 60s who contracted hepatitis C 30 years ago and didn't even know they were infected," noted Dr. Kim.
Eleven percent of cases were linked to obesity, in particular fatty liver disease. "It's a small percentage of cases overall. But with the nationwide obesity epidemic, we believe the rates of liver cancer may dramatically increase in the foreseeable future," Dr. Kim says. Another study looked exclusively at the Somali population, which is growing in the U.S., particularly in Minnesota, where as many as 50,000 Somalis have settled in the last two decades.
The East African country is known to have a high prevalence of hepatitis B, a risk factor for HCC. Researchers investigating records in the Mayo Clinic Life Sciences System confirmed that hepatitis B remains a risk factor, but they were surprised to find that a significant percentage of liver cancer cases in the population are attributable to hepatitis C, which had not been known to be significantly prevalent. The studies have been published in the January issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Source - Stress and hepatitis C
Living with a chronic illness can be stressful. A chronic illness like hepatitis C can add physical and emotional demands to your life. You may have to adjust to the physical demands of the illness and cope with negative feelings about your hepatitis C.
Feeling informed and in control may help you manage any stress you may feel about living with hepatitis C. Finding out information about hepatitis C and establishing a trusting relationship with your health care team can help you to feel informed and in control. Emotional support from others (family, friends, or others dealing with the same issues) can help you explore your feelings and give meaning to what is happening in your life.
Managing stress and maintaining emotional balance
There are a range of different techniques for managing stress. Different people find different techniques work best for them. Below are some common techniques for managing stress in your life.
Exercise
Physical exercise can often help to release tension and improves your overall level of health. Moderate and regular exercise is advised. For people living with a chronic illness like hepatitis C, it may be helpful to discuss exercise with your doctor before embarking on a new exercise regime.
Choose your attitude
Take some control over the thoughts that go through your mind.Talk yourself out of repeating negative or unhelpful self thoughts. See section below for more hints about developing a healthy attitude.
Relax
Relaxation means letting go of tension. For you this may mean spending time in the garden, listening to music, reading a book or pursuing a hobby.
Talk about how you feel
We all live and interact with other people and often cope better withour problems and life stresses by talking and sharing our feelings with other people. This can be as simple as talking with a neighbour or a friend. Many people also choose to see a trained counsellor, social worker or therapist to discuss how they are feeling and to get extra support.
Massage
Whether done by a trained professional or just a friend, a massage is a simple and inexpensive way of releasing tension from our bodies.
Meditation
Meditation is a technique that offers a structured way to reduce tension and stress. Although it may not provide an immediate release of stress, over time a meditation program will prepare you to handle physical and mental problems and recharge your system. Structured exercise and concentration programs such as Tai Chi and yoga are also very effective in reducing stress.
Diet and nutrition
When we experience stress and nervous tension our bodies use up large amounts of nutrients (vitamins and minerals). This can cause dietary deficiencies which in turn leave us tired, run down, irritable and less able to cope with stress. Maintaining a balanced diet is important to maintaining good health.
Change stressful circumstances
Often it isn’t possible to change the circumstances of your life that result in stress. However, it is sometimes possible to manage circumstances in ways that can make them less stressful for you or to avoid some situations altogether. Think about alternative ways family, work or daily routines could be managed so they produce less stress for you. Try developing an action plan of small changes you could make to family, work or daily routines that might make them less stressful. Talk to those involved in stressful family or work-related situations about how these situations could be managed to reduce pressure.
Developing a healthy attitude
Developing and maintaining a positive outlook on life, though often easier said than done, can help you deal with negative thoughts, manage stress and enhance your enjoyment of life.
Having a healthy attitude doesn’t mean you must always feel happy or only see the good aspects of life. Sometimes it is important to allow ourselves to feel sad, disappointed or ‘down.’ Having a healthy attitude means being honest and realistic about your life and trying to maintain an optimistic outlook most of the time.
Hints for developing a healthy attitude
Be honest and realistic. Do not build your attitude on thinking things are worse than they are or better than they are: live in the present. Acknowledge the past and potential futures but try not to be overly focused on them try to make positive thinking a habit. Practise turning negative thoughts into positive messages. Positive thinking is a learned skill learn what you can control and what you cannot. There are things you cannot control, such as the fact that you have hepatitis C. However, there are things you can control, such as your attitude and what you say to yourself about having hepatitis C remember to see the humorous side of life and to laugh.
Things to remember about stress:
be aware of physical and mental stress and recognise the signs. Stress is a problem if it is excessive or if you are not handling it properly you are not the only one who experiences the problems that lead to stress. These problems are a normal part of everyday life; Positive thinking is a learned skill identify situations that are stressful for you. Plan ways to deal with these situations or try to limit them in your life take time out to do something you enjoy and find relaxing talk to others about how you are feeling practice relaxation techniques try to maintain a healthy attitude and practice positive thinking.
Symptoms of stress
Some typical symptoms of stress include: insomnia; headache; neck, shoulder and back pain; heart palpitations; fatigue; irritability; panic attacks; loss of concentration; and low self-esteem. There is often a change in appetite and perhaps an increase in the use of drugs, alcohol or cigarette smoking.
Other symptoms of stress may include diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, urinary infrequency and trembling.
To date, surprisingly little long-term research has been done on the effects of stress. However, stress has been linked to ulcers, infertility, heart disease, mental health and cancer.
This Goes Without Saying : Avoid alcohol and drugs
Alcohol and Hepatitis C
By Peter Jaret
If you've been diagnosed with hepatitis C, your doctor has probably advised you to give up alcoholic beverages. For some people, this can be one of the most difficult lifestyle adjustments to make. But it's also one of the most important.
Several studies have shown that among people with hepatitis C, regular drinkers have higher levels of virus than nondrinkers, according to a report in the journal Hepatology. Studies also show that when people infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) stop drinking alcohol, levels of the virus decrease.
Researchers have found that alcohol causes the hepatitis C virus to multiply in the liver by increasing the activity of a protein that triggers the virus to make new copies of itself. These new copies speed the progress of the infection and raise the risk of liver damage.
Protecting your liver
There are other compelling reasons not to drink alcoholic beverages if you have hepatitis: One of the liver's jobs is to process alcohol. Too much alcohol can poison liver cells and cause a form of the disease called alcoholic hepatitis. If people continue to drink excessively, the condition can lead to permanent liver damage, or cirrhosis.
As you would expect, alcoholic hepatitis is frequently diagnosed in alcoholics. But it can also show up in some social drinkers because the liver's ability to process alcohol varies widely from person to person. Women, for instance, metabolize alcohol more slowly, so they seem to be at greater risk of suffering liver damage from drinking alcohol than men are.
If you've been diagnosed with hepatitis C, drinking alcohol adds to the strain on the liver, increasing the risk of damage to cells. That raises the danger of cirrhosis and liver cancer. If your liver has already been damaged by the virus, drinking can make things even worse.
For people being treated with interferon-alpha, there's another strong reason not to drink: The same scientists who showed that alcohol spurs the growth of the hepatitis C virus also found that alcohol weakens the effect of interferon-alpha. Drinking any amount of alcohol can interfere with treatment.
The Research
Scientific studies have proved beyond doubt that alcohol consumption speeds up the progression of the disease, Larry, Siu (2009) in the scientific study report Hepatitis C And Alcohol reports that:
Take Care of You
Eat healthy meals
“Numerous studies have demonstrated that alcohol consumption in varied quantities can enhance viral replication, increase oxidative stress, worsen cytotoxicity, and impair immune response. Consequently, alcohol abuse appears to reduce both sensitivity to interferon and adherence to treatment.”The authors concluded that abstinence from alcohol could prevent chronic HCV from progressing to advanced liver disease - when the chance of cirrhosis, liver cancer or liver failure is much higher.
Take Care of You
Eat healthy meals
Exercise
Rest when you feel tired
Take only the medications recommended by your doctor
See a liver doctor regularly (hepatologists and gastroenterologists)Rest when you feel tired
Take only the medications recommended by your doctor
Keep all medical appointments
Talk to your doctor about hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccines
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