How common is a fatty liver and who gets it?
Recent studies have shown that fatty liver is a much more common disease than previously acknowledged.
In the US population, fatty liver undoubtedly become the most popular cause of elevated liver enzymes (taken in a blood test). It now affects around 25% of all adult Americans.
The typical patient is expected to be diabetic and overweight. This is although fatty liver might also develop in individuals of normal weight. In many cases, patients also suffer from elevated levels of triglyceride and cholesterol in the blood, but consuming fatty foods is not a direct cause of fatty liver.
It is thought to be more common in women, but affects both sexes. Consuming excessive amounts of alcohol can increase the chances of developing a fatty liver. Until now, heredity was not found so play a significant role in the disease, so it is not passed from parent to child.
