READER’S DIGESTparacetamol dose can overload
an already stressed-out liver and
cause liver injury. Most paracetamol
victims are younger people who
either ignored the dosage labels or
combined it with alcohol, steroids or
street drugs.
Treating Hepatitis
Viruses destroy the liver by causing
inflammatory disease, such as
hepatitis types A to E. The D type
only affects those already with
hepatitis B, and E is a recently
discovered virus found
primarily in developing
countries, where
sanitation is poor
and access to clean
water limited. There
are medicines that
efficiently treat the
B type and recently
the C type as well. The
treatment for A and E
usually amounts
to controlling the patients’
symptoms while the liver gets a
chance to recover.
Most people in the western world
are vaccinated against hepatitis A
and B, but for those travelling into
areas where the disease is endemic,
getting a booster shot is a good idea.
When a liver fails, patients suffer a
slew of symptoms, so doctors place
them on life support to buy the liver
time to regenerate—or if all fails,
request a transplant. “The sickest
patient in the hospital is a patient
with acute liver failure,”
Dr. Jalan says—but if the liver
recovers, “they can recover
spontaneously by themselves.”
That is true of NAFLD—and Lasse
Berget is a prime example. Two
days after his diagnosis he changed
his lifestyle. He began walking and
eventually jogging and climbing
hills. He changed his diet. “I ate
normal healthy food, but much
less,” he says. Three months later a
medical check found that his liver
fat was disappearing. “Today
it’s completely gone,” says
Lasse, who now weighs
15 stone, runs three to
four times a week, and
does a longer run of
12- to 12 miles weekly,
and works as a health
and lifestyle consultant.
“My life has changed
completely. I got my health
and my joy back.”
Unlike Lasse Berget, other
patients may never know their liver
condition—because as yet there are
no centralised screening polices.
While experts are working to institute
them, patients should follow Lasse’s
example and ask their doctors for a
liver enzymes test and an ultrasound
scan. The liver regulates so many
things in the body, it deserves your
attention, Professor Karlsen says. “If
you take good care of your liver, your
liver will take good care of you.” nJULY 2019 • 45