liver Archives - Granite Peaks Gastroenterology of Utah

Liver Cirrhosis – Am I At Risk?

Posted on August 8, 2018April 18, 2019 by Granite Peaks

Liver Cirrhosis is a dangerous, sometimes deadly, disease caused by various risk factors. According to the American College of Gastroenterology liver cirrhosis affects approximately 5.5 million people in the United States, causing 26,000 deaths each year. It is among the top ten killers of adults age 25-64.

What is Cirrhosis?

Chronic liver injury eventually causes scarring, leaving the liver unable to function normally. The scarring is called cirrhosis. Since the liver filters our blood, removes toxins from our system and extracts nutrition from our digestive tract, this complex organ is critical to our good health.

The most common cause of liver cirrhosis in the U.S. is excessive alcohol consumption and Hepatitis. This may be why new studies suggest binge drinking among young people and Hepatitis (possibly undiagnosed and untreated) in baby boomers may be contributing factors to the upswing in liver disease cases in recent years. Fatty liver disease, viruses, autoimmune disease and bile duct disorders are among several other possible causes.

How Do I Know Whether I Have Cirrhosis?

Symptoms aren’t always noticeable at first. However as liver cirrhosis progresses, initial symptoms could include fatigue and itching. Patients may also experience swelling, usually in the legs, an abnormal amount of fluid retention in the abdomen, digestive tract bleeding, jaundice (yellowing of the white of the eyes and skin), and possible damage to the brain due to the insufficient filtering of waste from the blood. Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing any of these symptoms.

How Can I Reduce My Risk?

Alcohol use is a common factor in cirrhosis cases. Women consuming more than 1-2 alcoholic beverages per day or men consuming 2-3 over a long period of time significantly increase their risk of developing cirrhosis. Some people can develop cirrhosis with less than this amount of alcohol consumption.

Obesity and Diabetes are significant risk factors that cause liver injury whether alcohol is involved or not. Obesity is predicted to become the leading cause of cirrhosis as vaccines and awareness help the number of viral hepatitis cases dwindle.

Get Vaccinated! The Hepatitis A&B vaccination is easy to get and is very effective. There is no vaccine for Hepatitis C, but you can reduce or eliminate the risk by avoiding intravenous drug use, unprotected sexual contact and taking appropriate precautions when handling blood products.

If You Suspect You Have Liver Disease

See your doctor! Treatments are available for liver disease. Once properly screened and diagnosed, patients with liver disease, with the help of their gastroenterologist or hepatologist, may be able to improve their liver function and delay further decline.

There are various treatments available depending on your particular condition, the type and severity of the liver disease, and how you respond to treatments.

This is a very brief overview of how liver cirrhosis may affect an individual. The first step toward better health is seeing a gastroenterologist. They will determine the details of your digestive health and tell you how to proceed. Our doctors at Granite Peaks specialize in this type of disease. Reach out and get the help you need to work toward better liver function and better health.

Obesity and Your Gastrointestinal Health

Posted on June 12, 2018April 18, 2019 by Steven Desautels

By Steven G. Desautels

Obesity is a growing medical and public health problem worldwide. The health implications of obesity include a wide spectrum of benign digestive diseases such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Barrett’s esophagus (BE), erosive esophagitis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), gallstones, and pancreatitis and digestive organ cancers such as cholangiocarcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer (CRC), and esophageal cancer.

Esophagus:

Obesity increases the prevalence of esophageal motility (i.e. movement) disorders. Esophageal transit time has been demonstrated to be prolonged in subjects with obesity. This is thought to be related to increased gastric and gastroesophageal junction resistance. Excess body weight produces higher intra-abdominal pressure and reduces lower esophageal sphincter pressure, predisposing obese individuals to GERD. Obesity is one of the known risk factors for developing erosive esophagitis. Barrett’s refers to the replacement of the normal squamous epithelium of the distal (lower) esophagus by specialized columnar epithelium. Barrett’s is usually a consequence of chronic GERD and predisposes one to adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. Several studies have shown an association between obesity, abdominal circumference and metabolic syndrome and Barrett’s esophagus. The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma is increasing. The molecular mechanisms linking obesity and esophageal adenocarcinoma have been investigated extensively and thought to be related to increased insulin and insulin like growth factors.

Stomach:

Gastric physiology and its neurohormonal regulation are altered in obesity. Higher BMI has been associated with greater fasting gastric volume and accelerated gastric emptying of solids and liquids. Obesity has been found to be a risk factor for erosive gastritis and gastric and duodenal ulcers. Obesity is considered a pro inflammatory and pro carcinogenic and is recognized as an important risk factor for cancer, including gastric cancer.

Small intestine:

The prevalence of diarrhea in obese individuals is higher compared with normal weight controls. This is thought to be related to several mechanisms including bile acid diarrhea, accelerated colonic transit, increased mucosal permeability or intestinal inflammation. Medications used by obese individuals such as Metformin for diabetes or polycystic ovary syndrome also may cause diarrhea.

Colon and rectum:

Obesity is associated with a higher risk of developing diverticulosis. Several studies have documented an increased prevalence of adenomatous polyps with elevated BMI. Similarly, obesity is associated with an increased risk of adenoma recurrence.

Liver:

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease has become the most prevalent chronic liver disease in the United States and the most frequent cause of increased transaminase levels (liver enzymes). Patients with NAFLD are at risk of progressive fibrosis and eventual cirrhosis. NAFLD confers increased risk of cardiovascular mortality and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Gallbladder:

Obesity has been well recognized for its strong association with gallstone disease, including cholelithiasis, cholecystitis, and cholesterolosis. Cholesterolosis is characterized by the accumulation of lipids in the mucosa of the gallbladder wall. It is a benign condition that is usually diagnosed incidentally during cholecystectomy or on ultrasonography.

Pancreas:

Obesity and fat infiltration of the pancreas play a significant role in the endocrine pancreatic dysfunction that leads to the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Obesity is associated with more severe acute pancreatitis. Meta-analyses have reported an association between BMI and adenocarcinoma of the pancreas.

What are Gallstones?

Posted on May 21, 2014June 13, 2017 by fuelmarketing

The gallbladder stores bile, a fluid made by the liver. Bile helps digest fats in the foods you eat. Gallstones form when certain substances in the bile crystallize and become solid. In some cases, the stones don’t cause any symptoms. In others, they irritate the walls of the gallbladder. More serious problems can occur if stones move into nearby ducts- such as the common bile duct- and case blockages. This stops the flow of bile and can lead to pain, nausea, and infection.

According to the Mayo Clinic, ‘Gallstones range in size from as small as a grain of sand to as large as a golf ball.’

Common Symptoms

Gallbladder problems can cause painful attacks, often after a meal. Some people have only one attack, and possibly a single stone, while others may have multiple stones:

Severe pain or aching in the upper abdomen, back, or right shoulder blade
A dull ache beneath the ribs or breastbone
Nausea, upset stomach, or vomiting
Jaundice (a buildup of bile chemicals in the blood), which causes yellowing of the skin, eyes, dark urine, and itching

Treating Gallstones

If your stones are not causing symptoms, you may choose to delay treatment. But if you’ve had one or more painful attacks, your doctor will likely recommend removing your gallbladder. This prevents more stones from forming and causing attacks. It also helps prevent complications, such as stones passing into the ducts and causing infection or pancreatitis. After the gallbladder is removed, your liver will still make bile to aid digestion.

Diet for Gallbladder health & during Gallbladder problems

According to WebMD, healthy foods for your Gallbladder include, “fresh fruits and vegetables; whole grains (whole-wheat bread, brown rice, oats, bran cereal); lean meat, poultry, and fish; low-fat dairy products.” The following is a list of foods to avoid if you’re experiencing Gallbladder problems, provided by WebMD: “Fried foods; highly processes foods (doughnuts, pie, cookies); whole-milk dairy products (cheese, ice cream, butter); Fatty red meat.”

If you’d like to schedule an appointment to check on your Gallbladder health, click here. Granite Peaks is able to see patients within one week if the needs are non-emergent. No referral is necessary. Please call our offices at, (801) 619-9000 with additional questions.