The liver is the largest organ in the human body. The critical organ is responsible for supporting a series of functions in the body, such as immunity, digestion, detoxification, vitamin storage. The list goes on.
Yet, with over 25% of the world and 20% of the U.S. suffering from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), doctors have turned to social media to advise audiences of the warning signs.
Or lack thereof.
Posted on Aug. 17, Gastroenterologist MD Dr. Wendi (@socalgastrodoc) briefed her TikTok followers on the causes of Fatty Liver Disease in hopes to bring educational awareness. Now with over 649,300 views and 13,600 likes, the Healio Gastroenterology Social Media Influencer of the Year has begun an informational 2-part series on the topic.
What’s the most common sign of fatty liver disease?
“Did you know that the most common symptom of Fatty Liver Disease is nothing?” Dr.Wendi asks.
The screen then quickly flashes to a drawn depiction of a liver. Broken into several parts, Dr.Wendi explains the differences between the healthy and fatty liver. Then to take it one step further she explains how such fatty tissue can lead to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and even cancerous states.
Circling back to fatty liver, Dr. Wendi illustrates its causes.
“[The] main causes of fatty liver disease, the first is chronic alcohol use, the second is anything that predisposes you to have fat on your body,” Dr.Wendi says.
In this case, physical predispositions can be defined as a seemingly infinite list of traits.
“High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or obesity, all of these are part of a syndrome called metabolic syndrome, and fatty liver is part of that,” Dr.Wendi says.
But fatty liver isn’t the only problem, rather it’s what fatty liver can lead to. Dr. Wendi elaborates on the transition from fatty liver to fibrosis. Meaning scar tissue in the liver, fibrosis can be irreversible and turn into cirrhosis, according to Dr.Wendi.
What’s cirrhosis?
While Dr.Wendi did not clearly define cirrhosis, the NIH, or National Institutes of Health defines the condition as permanent scarring of the liver which prevents its proper functioning. While not curable, if not promptly treated, the liver damage can lead to jaundice, gastrointestinal bleeding, abdominal swelling, and, in some cases, may require a liver transplant.
How can you prevent fatty liver disease? Is there medication?
“[So], the most important thing to do if you have fatty liver is to prevent it from becoming fibrosis and cirrhosis and you do that by lifestyle intervention,” Dr.Wendi says.
Unsatisfied with “lifestyle intervention,” such as weight loss, as her concluding piece of advice. Dr.Wendi mentions new medications on the shelf.
However she left followers with a “like and follow for part two,” before diving in.
Posted on Aug. 23, Dr.Wendi returned to her audience exclaiming that there is finally a treatment for fatty liver disease. According to Dr.Wendi, a quarter of Americans struggle with fatty liver disease. Yet prior to 2024, medication specifically targeting the condition wasn’t on the market.
“Now the mainstay of treatment for fatty liver disease is of course lifestyle changes… But this year the first medication specifically designed to treat fatty liver disease, called ‘Resmetirom’ or ‘Rezdiffra’ was approved,” Dr.Wendi says.
While this medication is specifically for people who have developed fibrosis, according to the doctor, such a condition still stems from fatty liver disease.
@socalgastrodoc Twenty percent of people in the US have fatty liver disease and the most common symptoms is… nothing! It’s often detected incidentally when someone gets imaging for another reason #fattyliver #liver #guthealth #liverhealth #cirrhosis #liverdisease #creatorsearchinsights #metabolichealth ♬ original sound – socalgastrodoc
Concluding her two-part series, Dr.Wendi explains how while she has seen positive outcomes from her patients who have used a handful of other medications for correlating conditions. At the end of the day it stems from her patients weight loss.
The Daily Dot Reached out to Dr.Wendi (@socalgastrodoc) for comment via TikTok DM.
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