Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a lifestyle ailment which affects 25-33 per cent of the world population. In India, the overall prevalence of NAFLD in the general population is close to 40 per cent and may still be higher at certain places, including agra, say gastroenterologists.
Experts feel that educating the public on healthy lifestyle will go a long way in preventing and controlling this disease.
NAFLD is usually thought as a benign condition and is often ignored by the patients.
The main reasons for NAFLD in India are the metabolic risk factors related to sedentary lifestyle and intake of high calorie food.
Overweight or obesity, diabetes mellitus (blood sugar), hypertension (high blood pressure) and dyslipidemia (deranged blood lipids) are the main risk factors for NAFLD, even though some patients may be predisposed genetically.
The diagnosis of NAFLD is usually simple, based on blood tests, ultrasound and few other tests, but may be delayed due to lack of symptoms in the early stage.
The disease may also be ignored by the patients and physicians alike due to slow progression and lack of specific complaints.
In addition to affecting the liver, NAFLD has also become a very common risk factor for various extra-hepatic diseases like cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, bone loss, obstructed sleep apnoea and cancers of various organs.
Obesity,piles,fissure,acidity,constipation,alcoholic liver disease,Gerd are also lifestyle related diseases
Fatty diets,red meat,lack of exercise,smoking ,alcohol,stress,lack of sleep are the major factors for lifestyle diseases.
Smoking of narcotics like marijuana have been linked with increased heart attack risks .
Fast food concept have shaken the concept of a healthy diet .
The treatment of patients with lifestyle diseases revolves around maintaining a healthy lifestyle with good diet and regular exercise says gastro expert doctor Dr Karan .
Those who are overweight are encouraged to lose weight by cutting down on their calorie intake and by burning more calories through aerobic or anaerobic exercises.
Patients who progress on to severe form of disease (NASH with or without fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver cancer) do require other modalities of treatment.
The latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, conducted in 2019-21), the most comprehensive household survey of health and social indicators by the government, found that 3.4% of children under five are now overweight compared with 2.1% in 2015-16.
On the face of it, the numbers seem small, but Dr Arjan de Wagt, chief of nutrition at Unicef in India, says that “even a very small percentage can mean very large numbers” because of the size of the Indian population.
According to Unicef’s World Obesity Atlas for 2022, India is predicted to have more than 27 million obese children, representing one in 10 children globally, by 2030. It ranks 99th on the list of 183 countries in terms of preparedness to deal with obesity and the economic impact of overweight and obesity is expected to rise from $23bn in 2109 to a whopping $479bn by 2060
For obesity ,new branch of surgery is the Bariatric and metabolic surgery which aims to help cut down weight through surgical and endoscopic procedures with minimum access in the abdomen and have helped thousands of patients suffering from obese or super obese bracket to reduce weight and treat diabetes.
Dr Karan R Rawat is a top Gastroenterologist and surgeon in Agra,uttar pradesh,practicing for over Ten years and treating more than 50000+ patients.He is the only certified robotic surgeon in Uttar pradesh .