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NAFLD Patients: A Case Study

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TREATMENT

• Lifestyle Management The changing of ones lifestyle though may be effective if fully implemented, it may be hard to do. This method involves the change in both diet and exercise.On average, an individual is limited to only 500-1000 kcal per day to achieve this goal for a period of 6-12 months consistently [26,27,28] . In terms of diet, a carbohydrate-restricted diet should be implemented in NAFLD patients [29] . Since NAFLD is connected to carbohydrate intake, it can affect the glucose homeostasis and free fatty acid metabolism in the liver. With every 7-10% reduction in body weight, a person is said to have decrease some of the inflammation in NAFLD [30] .

• Bariatric Surgery Bariatric surgery is a procedure that is done …show more content…

Insulin sensitizers
- Since NAFLD has a strong connection with that of insulin resistance, metformin and thiazolidinedione (TZDs); which are insulin sensitizers are commonly used in treating NAFLD patients [32].
- Metformin
- This insulin sensitizer is normally used for treating type 2 diabetes patients through the action and activation of AMPK [33] . As a result, the peripheral glucose intake is improved, the hepatic gluconeogenesis is reduced and the beta oxidation of FFA is increased [34] .

2. Lipid lowering drugs
- Though there is no direct benefit to that of NAFLD management, the cardiovascular risk of NAFLD can be reduced with the usage of statins, fibrates and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids [32] .

• Hyperstension management The common method of reducing hypertension in NAFLD patients is by using Angiotensin II receptor blockers (AIIRB). This blocker functions not only to inhibit proliferation of stellate cells, but also to decrease inflamation and fibrosis [35] .

• Liver Transplantation For patients that have reached a stage where there is liver failure due to NAFLD, the only option that can be done is through liver transplant. Even with this procedure, it is likely that recurrent NASH can develop as a result of metabolic factors as well as the constant usage of immunosuppresion like corticosteroids [36]

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