Young man with 95cm waist, liver calling for help

(Dan Tri) - Fatty liver is becoming a common health problem, especially among young urban people. There are no obvious symptoms, but fatty liver can lead to serious problems if not treated early.

As an IT engineer at a technology company in Ho Chi Minh City, Hoai Nam (32 years old) always has to sit and work continuously 8-10 hours/day, even working overtime until late at night to meet deadlines.

A busy life with a computer screen makes Nam hardly have time to exercise other than a few short steps from the parking lot to the office. On weekends, instead of going to the gym, Nam chooses to gather with friends to relieve stress over drinks.

Nam always thought he was healthy and rarely got sick, so he didn't pay much attention to his health. At 1.75m tall and weighing 90kg, he considered himself "not too fat", although his shirts were starting to get tight and his 95cm waist was already beyond the safe threshold.

During a routine health check-up organized by the company last month, the ultrasound results startled him: grade 1 fatty liver with fat accumulation of about 7% of the liver weight.

Ignoring his growing belly, Hoai Nam still thought his health was normal until he received the results of his fatty liver (Illustration: iStock).

Nam's story is not a rare case but an alarming reality among many young people in Vietnam, where urban lifestyle and unscientific living habits are silently destroying their livers.

50-60% of the population has fatty liver

According to Dr. Nguyen Thi Diem Huong, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City - Branch 3, currently, in periodic health check-ups for employees at many companies, the rate of detecting fatty liver in workers is very high, even recorded in young people over 20 years old.

Fatty liver is a condition in which fat accumulates excessively in the liver, accounting for more than 5% of the liver weight, impairing the function of this organ.

According to statistics from the Vietnam Liver and Bile Association, about 50-60% of the adult population in Vietnam has fatty liver. In the world , this rate fluctuates between 25-35%, developed countries record higher numbers due to modern lifestyles and unhealthy diets.

Fatty liver disease progresses through three main stages, each with increasing severity.

In stage 1, the amount of fat in the liver accounts for 5-10% of the weight. At this stage, the disease often has no obvious symptoms and is only detected through ultrasound or testing. Many people discover the disease at this stage through regular health check-ups.

By stage 2, fat accumulation increases, accounting for 10-20% of liver weight. Patients begin to show signs such as loss of appetite, indigestion, bloating, fatigue and sometimes nausea. If left untreated, the disease will progress to a more severe stage.

Stage 3 is the dangerous stage, when fat accounts for more than 30% of the liver's weight. Symptoms at this time are more obvious, such as jaundice, yellow eyes, pain in the right lower rib, weight loss and the appearance of hemangiomas on the skin.

At this stage, the disease can only be treated to relieve symptoms and prevent complications such as chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis or liver cancer, but cannot be completely cured.

Dangerous disease can be prevented

According to Dr. Nguyen Thi Diem Huong, there are two main types of fatty liver disease.

The first type is alcoholic fatty liver, which occurs in people who consume a lot of alcohol.

The second type is metabolic fatty liver disease (MAFLD), which is common in people who are overweight, obese, have type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides) or use certain medications. MAFLD is becoming a concern in young people due to sedentary lifestyles and diets high in sugar and fat.

Fatty liver appears frequently in people who regularly use alcohol (Illustration: HL).

The consequences of fatty liver are not simple. About 25% of patients, if not treated, can progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), of which 50% will lead to liver fibrosis. This is one of the causes of liver cancer.

In addition, fatty liver also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. A study in the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA) shows that people with fatty liver disease have a high risk of heart failure, especially diastolic heart failure. When the liver does not process cholesterol well, fat can easily accumulate in the arteries, causing blockages and increasing the risk of heart attack.

To prevent fatty liver, Dr. Huong emphasized that the treatment formula includes 3 factors: changing lifestyle, using medication as prescribed and controlling associated diseases.

Lifestyle changes are an important factor, accounting for 50% of treatment effectiveness. With grade 1 fatty liver, with just the right lifestyle changes, patients can reverse the disease without medication.

Specifically, patients should increase daily exercise, reduce calorie intake, prioritize a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, olive oil, limit red meat, processed foods, sugary drinks and absolutely avoid alcohol.

Overweight people should lose 7-10% of their body weight, combine with 150-200 minutes of exercise per week, divided into 3-5 sessions, avoid extreme weight loss because lack of protein can reduce the ability to transport fat out of the liver.

For people with moderate to severe fatty liver, doctors may prescribe medication to support. Patients can also combine Eastern and Western medicine but under the guidance of a doctor.

In addition, controlling associated diseases such as lipid disorders, type 2 diabetes or hypertension is also an effective method to support the treatment of fatty liver.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/nam-thanh-nien-vong-bung-95cm-la-gan-keu-cuu-20250723161350157.htm