Cholesterol And Your Liver: What Is The Connection

The human body needs several vital substances, including protein, minerals, vitamins, and cholesterol. A balanced level of cholesterol in the body is important for maintaining all important functions and your liver is one of the most crucial components of that system.

One of the liver’s many functions is to produce, metabolize, and clear the cholesterol from the body. While it is important for the formation of hormones in the body, cholesterol is also known to cause harm in imbalanced proportions.

Cholesterol is carried throughout the body on bundles called lipoproteins. Usually, they are categorized as High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL or good cholesterol) and Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL or bad cholesterol). Your body needs these levels to be regulated in proportion to ensure healthy functioning.

The recommended levels of these lipoproteins are

• HDL: At least 40 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl)
• LDL: less than or equal to 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl)

Going beyond these levels can hinder the functioning of several vital organs in the body, including the liver. For the liver, here is a list of complications that can arise from abnormal levels of cholesterol in the body.

Complications of Cholesterol Imbalance

• • Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
    Fatty liver disease is the condition of the deposition of fat particles in the liver. Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease is a term used to describe the condition of fatty liver diseases not caused by the regular consumption of alcohol. NAFLD is often seen in people suffering from obesity and diabetes. It is often used to describe a spectrum of conditions that can collectively cause cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer.

• • Cirrhosis
    Cirrhosis is the name given to the condition of scarring of the liver tissue. The build-up of scar tissue can prevent the liver from carrying out its basic metabolism functions. The scarring can happen because of a long-term injury, inflammation from a disease, or long-term abuse of alcohol.

• • Hepatitis
    One of the most common reasons behind damage to the liver is drug interaction because one of the primary functions of the liver is to metabolize chemicals, which makes it susceptible to damage from drugs, both medicinal and recreational. One of the most common conditions associated with cholesterol imbalance and drug interaction is hepatitis. This includes Acute, Chronic, and Atypical hepatitis.

• Other Diseases
  Other conditions like Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, Microvesicular steatosis, and Veno-occlusive disease can also be caused by drug interactions when the liver is burdened by cholesterol.

When to See A Doctor?

Medically, one of the caveats of liver damage is that it can progress for months and years with absolutely no symptoms. When symptoms do appear, the liver has already been extensively damaged. If you have any of these symptoms, you must immediately seek consultation from a doctor.

• Yellowing of skin and eyes (Jaundice)
• Fatigue and tiredness
• Weakness
• Loss of appetite
• Fluid accumulation in the abdomen
• Skin that bruises easily.

Extensive liver damage is often irreversible and can cause liver failure. In such conditions, doctors often recommend a liver transplant. While the condition can be prevented by living a healthy lifestyle, a consultation can be invaluable. To know more about your health and the liver transplant cost for your condition, get in touch with one of the leading experts on the matter, Dr Vivek Vij at AILBS India. Schedule an appointment today.