Liver disease is a serious health problem that can affect people at any age, but it becomes especially important to understand how it shows up in older adults.
As people grow older, their bodies go through many changes. These changes can make it harder to notice when something is wrong with the liver.
The liver is one of the body’s most important organs. It helps digest food, stores energy, and removes harmful substances from the blood. If the liver gets damaged—from infection, alcohol, fat, or even medicines—it can’t do its job properly. Over time, this damage can lead to long-term liver problems or even liver failure.
There are several common types of liver disease. Hepatitis is caused by a virus. Fatty liver disease happens when too much fat builds up in the liver. Alcoholic liver disease comes from drinking too much alcohol. Cirrhosis is when the liver becomes scarred and stiff. All of these conditions can be dangerous, especially for older people.
One of the biggest challenges in older adults is that liver disease does not always cause clear or early symptoms. Instead, the signs may be very mild or look like problems that come with aging, such as tiredness or poor appetite.
A medical review from 2021 published in the journal Hepatology showed that older adults often have general symptoms like feeling very tired, eating less, confusion, or a little swelling in their legs. These signs can easily be blamed on other health issues like arthritis or heart problems, so liver disease might not be considered right away.
Fatigue, or extreme tiredness, is one of the most common symptoms. It can make it hard for older adults to keep up with everyday tasks. This can also lead to them spending more time alone, which can affect their mood and mental health.
Another clear sign is jaundice. This causes yellow skin or yellow eyes. It happens when a yellow substance called bilirubin builds up in the body because the liver can’t get rid of it. Jaundice is easier to notice, but it may not happen until the liver is already badly damaged.
Swelling in the legs or stomach area is another warning sign. The liver makes proteins that help keep fluids in blood vessels. If the liver stops making these proteins, fluid can leak out and cause swelling. Older adults may also bruise or bleed easily if the liver isn’t helping the blood to clot properly.
A more hidden and serious symptom is mental confusion or forgetfulness. This is called hepatic encephalopathy. It happens when toxins build up in the brain because the liver isn’t filtering them out.
In older adults, this problem is sometimes mistaken for dementia or memory loss. A 2019 study from The Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology found that this kind of mental confusion is often missed in people over 65, leading to late treatment.
Other signs include losing weight or muscle, poor appetite, itchy skin, dark-colored urine, or pale-colored stools. These are signs that the liver may not be handling nutrients or bile properly.
Older adults often take medicine for other health problems. Since the liver processes almost all medications, a damaged liver can lead to stronger side effects. People who take many medications at the same time are especially at risk.
A 2020 study in The American Journal of Geriatric Pharmacotherapy warned that drugs like statins, antibiotics, and some anti-inflammatory pills could hurt the liver in older people.
In the end, liver disease in older adults can be hard to notice. Symptoms like tiredness, confusion, and swelling may seem like small or unrelated issues. But these can be signs of something more serious. That’s why regular check-ups and blood tests are very important, especially for people who have diabetes, high blood pressure, or who drink alcohol often.
When liver problems are caught early, treatment can slow the damage and help people feel better and live longer. Learning what to watch for can truly help protect the health and life of older adults.
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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