Fatty Liver Package in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow

Fatty liver means fat makes up more of the liver than it should. It is very common. It often goes with being overweight, diabetes, high cholesterol or regular alcohol, and most people feel nothing. Ultrasound usually picks it up, and the report grades it from 1 (mild) to 3 (marked).

This package suits you if:

• A recent scan said fatty liver and your doctor wants to know what it is doing to the liver.
• You have diabetes, prediabetes or high cholesterol and your doctor wants the liver checked alongside.
• You are changing your diet and exercise and want a measured follow-up of the scan and the blood tests.
• Your LFT was mildly raised and no scan has been done yet.

It is not the right page for jaundice, dark urine or a high SGOT or SGPT with no clear reason. For those, the liver panel package adds a clotting test and a longer list of liver blood tests. If diabetes is your main concern, see the diabetic package. For blood pressure, see the hypertension package.

In fatty liver, the scan and the blood tests answer different questions.

• The abdominal ultrasound shows fat as a liver that looks brighter than the kidney beside it, and grades it. It also checks the gallbladder, bile ducts and spleen.
• LFT (liver function test) usually reports bilirubin, the enzymes SGOT and SGPT, alkaline phosphatase and proteins. In fatty liver the enzymes are often normal or only mildly raised, so a normal LFT does not rule it out.
• The lipid profile measures cholesterol and triglycerides. Fatty liver and abnormal blood fats often travel together.
• Random blood sugar and HbA1c: random sugar is taken at any time of day. HbA1c reflects your average blood sugar over the past 2 to 3 months. Together they show whether blood sugar is part of the picture.
• CBC and urine routine give your doctor a general view of your blood and urine alongside the liver results.
• HBsAg and HCV screen for hepatitis B and hepatitis C infection. Viral hepatitis can cause liver changes that look similar on tests, and it needs different care.

The scan cannot reliably show how much scarring the liver has, and the blood tests cannot grade the fat. If the results raise that question, your doctor may ask for more tests.

Fatty liver does not always mean liver damage. In many people the early stage stays stable, and it can improve when weight, diet, activity, blood sugar and alcohol intake come under control. In some people it goes on to inflame the liver, which is why doctors follow it up.

The grade on the scan matters less than the whole picture: your enzymes, blood sugar, cholesterol, weight, alcohol history and medicines. Your doctor puts these together and tells you how often to repeat the tests.

Ask your doctor before starting any supplement or herbal liver remedy. Some of them can strain the liver themselves.