What is hypertension?

• Age
• Race
• Family history
• Obesity
• Physically inactive

• Consumption of tobacco
• Consumption of too much salt
• Too much potassium in diet
• Too little potassium in diet
• Alcohol consumption

• Stress
• Kidney disease
• Diabetes
• Sleep apnea

HOW ARE HYPERTENSION AND FATTY LIVER DISEASE CONNECTED?

There is an association between fatty liver and hypertension and it is important to diagnose and treat fatty liver in hypertensive patients. When recommending treatment to a hypertensive patient, mostly it is suggested to cut down on the fat in the liver. The connection between hypertension and fatty liver disease is caused by many health risks such as obesity, raised liver enzymes, diabetes etc. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and Hypertension are related in obese people and is related to heart ailment.

Hypertension is known to be associated with the metabolic syndrome caused by insulin resistance, and is mostly related to the development of fatty liver disease (hepatic steatosis). Let us elaborate on the matter how and why fatty liver diseases lead to hypertension.

WHAT CAUSES THE DEVELOPMENT OF FATTY LIVER? / NAFLD AND ASSOCIATED AILMENTS

Fatty liver diseases are caused by many reasons which includes obesity, alcoholism, insulin resistance, high blood sugar etc.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease refers to the umbrella term that consists of ailments of the liver. As the name goes, NAFLD refers to fatty liver resulting from alcohol consumption or obesity. Many more factors contribute to the development of the liver fat. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) can happen at a later stage of Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, whose characteristics are inflammation in the liver and liver scaring and in worst cases, cirrhosis and liver cancer.

We can identify the disease with some symptoms –

• Fatigue
• Chronic pain in the abdominal area
• Enlarged spleen
• Red palms
• Yellowing of the skin and eyes

Although it is commonly said that fatty liver occurs due to alcohol consumption, the surprising fact is that there are more to the disease than we can think.  Among the factors which lead to the development of fatty liver disease are – obesity, insulin resistance, improper food habits, high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) indicating type 2 diabetes and also high level of fat in the blood.

Although, NAFLD can get to a stage where it is difficult to control, we can take up some preventions that will dodge the effect by maximum amount. As one of the main factors of fatty liver is obesity, one can shift their unhealthy diet to a healthy one. Consuming fruits and veggies and avoiding fat packed food items can really help combat Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Obesity being the major factor contributing to the disease, one can invest time in exercising. Daily workout can immensely help in eroding the fat in liver and prevent fatty liver or NAFLD to occur.  Fatty Liver Disease with Hypertension is a common phenomenon in patients. Let us learn about it in details how Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and Hypertension are related.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and hypertension are mostly related to each other due to various health risks. Arterial hypertension which is one of the various components of metabolic syndrome is said to be least connected to NAFLD. When NAFLD advances with more critical stages, it leads to hypertension. Prevalent Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease can be seen in early stages of hypertension even in the absence of the other metabolic risk factors. Having control on your blood pressure and taking preventive measures can be beneficial for non-obese people as well and can eventually prevent fatty liver disease.

CONNECTION BETWEEN NAFLD AND HYPERTENSION

The association between hypertension and fatty liver disease was identified by Ramsay in 1977 who found out that 15% male hypertensive patients had liver disorders. Studies have shown that there is a confirmed connection between hypertension and fatty liver disease. Fatty Liver Disease with Hypertension tends to occur in patients with acute liver disease. Obesity and immobility can trigger liver disease which in turn triggers heart diseases. We can understand the formation of Fatty Liver Disease with Hypertension through the following chart.

Although hypertension has been associated with the development of critical NAFLD in obese patients, hypertension and fatty liver disease has also been linked with non-obese people.

Symptoms during high blood pressure can include –

• Headaches
• Shortness of breath
• Nosebleeds

TREATMENT FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE / HYPERTENSION

NAFLD and Hypertension are closely connected and for that reason we need to treat these ailments at an early age. Treatments for hypertension can include –

• Losing weight – Obesity plays a major part in hypertension. Losing weight can treat hypertension to a certain level.
• Smoking – Cutting down on smokes can reduce the risk of hypertension.
• Changing your diet – A change in diet can really help in the reduction of hypertension.
• Reducing sodium in diet – the reduction of sodium in diet can heavily affect in the reduction of hypertension.
• Exercise – staying active can immensely affect in the treatment of hypertension.
• Say no to alcohol – limitation of alcohol can lower the risk of hypertension.

NASH and NAFLD and Hypertension are closely connected to each other so its highly recommended to keep fatty liver diseases in check. Due to the accumulation of fat in liver, increased blood pressure occurs and develops several health risks. So keeping blood pressure in check fatty liver in check can reduce the risk of both the same time.