Fatty liver disease, also known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is becoming increasingly common. Around one in four adults worldwide has it. This condition happens when fat builds up in the liver, usually due to being overweight or having other health issues like high blood pressure or high blood sugar.
While fatty liver disease is often seen as a problem that only affects the liver, new research from Sweden shows it may be much more serious than that. It could also make people more likely to get seriously ill from infections.
Researchers looked at medical records from more than 70,000 people. About 12,000 of them had fatty liver disease, and the rest did not. The researchers wanted to know if people with this condition were more likely to end up in the hospital because of infections.
What they found was striking: people with fatty liver disease were 71% more likely to be hospitalized for serious infections compared to those without the condition.
The most common infections in this group were lung infections (like pneumonia) and urinary tract infections (UTIs). This was the first large study to explore how fatty liver disease affects the risk of infection across an entire country.
Dr. Fahim Ebrahimi, who led the study, explained that fatty liver disease is not just a liver problem—it’s a whole-body issue. Even people who had mild fatty liver disease, with no signs of scarring or inflammation, were more likely to get serious infections. Those with more severe liver damage faced an even greater risk.
But why would a liver condition make someone more vulnerable to infections?
The answer lies in the liver’s role in the immune system. Your liver isn’t just there to filter blood or process nutrients—it also helps your body fight off harmful germs. In fact, about 20% of the cells in your liver are immune cells. So when the liver isn’t healthy, your immune system may not work as well, making it easier for infections to take hold.
Another researcher in the study, Jonas F. Ludvigsson, pointed out that for people with fatty liver disease, the risk of getting a serious infection over time is significant. Based on the data, about one in every six people with fatty liver disease will have a serious infection that requires hospital care within 20 years of their diagnosis.
Right now, there are no specific guidelines telling doctors how to prevent infections in people with fatty liver disease. But this study suggests that needs to change. Dr. Ebrahimi believes that infection prevention—such as vaccines, regular checkups, and monitoring for early signs of illness—should become a routine part of managing fatty liver disease.
So if you or someone you know has been diagnosed with fatty liver disease, it’s important to take the condition seriously. It’s not just about liver health—it can affect your whole body, including your ability to fight off infections.
The good news is that early detection and lifestyle changes like losing weight, eating healthier, and staying active can make a big difference. As more research like this comes out, doctors will hopefully have better tools to help patients manage not only their liver health but their overall well-being.
If you care about liver health, please read studies about simple habit that could give you a healthy liver, and common diabetes drug that may reverse liver inflammation.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about simple blood test that could detect your risk of fatty liver disease, and results showing this green diet may strongly lower non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
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