![Mayo Clinic home page [logo]](/images-global/mayologo.gif)
Discover how you can help support Mayo Clinic.
Liver specialists (hepatologists) at Mayo Clinic evaluate and treat more than 2,500 adults and children who have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) each year. This disease was first identified in 1980 by Mayo Clinic researchers. The Gastroenterology and Hepatology practice at Mayo is the largest in the country. A team of hepatologists, radiologists, nurses, pathologists, hepatobiliary surgeons, pediatric specialists and other medical professionals specialize in treating NAFLD. They help each patient identify the best medical options and choose appropriate treatment plans to control the disease.
Often NAFLD is discovered from results of laboratory testing done for an unrelated condition. Physicians at Mayo Clinic conduct extensive medical examinations and take a medical history when diagnosing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Blood tests may reveal elevated liver enzymes. Ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or a computed tomography (CT) scan may help identify the liver abnormality, but a liver biopsy may be needed to fully confirm its presence and severity.
Although there is no proven treatment for NAFLD, gradual and sustained weight loss sometimes helps reduce the amount of fat in the liver. Learn more about nonalcoholic fatty liver disease treatment options.
Sometimes resembling alcoholic hepatitis, NAFLD typically occurs in middle-aged, overweight people who do not drink alcohol. The American Liver Foundation estimates that NAFLD develops in between 20 percent to 40 percent of obese Americans.
Also known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), NAFLD is a noninfectious condition caused by accumulation of fat in the liver. Fat may accumulate as a result of obesity, diabetes or other conditions. NAFLD may remain stable or progress over many years to irreversible liver damage. Each case varies in severity and treatability. NAFLD is an increasingly common cause of liver failure, leading to liver transplantation.
Read more at www.MayoClinic.com (A service of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research).
Shirley Beltz enjoys being a grandmother. And a liver transplant has given Shirley more time to spend with her grandson.
Read Shirley's story.
Read all patient stories.
.
