A quarter of American adults live with a life-threatening liver disorder –

A major heart disease association warns that one in four American adults lives with potentially life-threatening liver disease caused by overeating.

The disease, medically called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), occurs when fat builds up in the liver.

It normally does not cause warning signs in the early stages, but after a few years it can cause pain, discomfort and swelling in the upper right abdomen.

Left unchecked, the disease can lead to inflammation, scarring of the liver and even organ failure.

In its first statement today, the American Heart Association (AHA) called for improvements in diagnostic methods and increased awareness of the disease.

President Paul Duell, also a diabetes specialist at the University of Oregon, warned that the condition is often “hidden or lost” during routine medical screenings.

The disease is the most common liver problem in the United States, affecting one in four adults, or 64 million people.

Estimates suggest that more than a million adults die from the condition each year.

NAFLD is a general term for chronic liver disease caused by too much fat that does not cause long-term damage.

But over time, it can develop into nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which causes inflammation and scarring of the vital organ.

Doctors say people who are overweight, obese, and have diabetes or high blood pressure are most at risk for this condition.

According to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 40 percent of adults — or 100 million people — in the United States are obese.

Treatments for those with the disease revolve around lifestyle changes that result in up to 10% body weight loss.

This includes eating healthier foods and exercising more regularly.

To diagnose the condition, doctors currently use routine blood tests.

But the AHA cautioned that these often fail to detect liver abnormalities, and in some cases, the warning signs are incorrectly attributed to medication side effects and recent alcohol consumption.

In the later stages, the condition is diagnosed by biopsy, but this is expensive and requires surgery.

To improve diagnosis rates, the AHA recommends that doctors switch to using specialized ultrasounds that can measure the elasticity, fat, and stiffness of the liver.

“Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common condition that is often hidden or lost in routine medical care,” Duell explains. Said.

“It is important to know and treat the condition early, as it is a risk factor for chronic liver damage and cardiovascular disease.”

“While wellness can help prevent NAFLD in many people, some may develop NAFLD despite their best efforts.

“At the other end of the spectrum, some individuals may have a genetic makeup that protects them from developing NAFLD despite obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, unhealthy eating habits or a sedentary lifestyle.”

He added that unawareness of the condition “contributes” to the underdiagnosis.

AHA statement published in the Journal of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology †