Will fatty liver shrink the brain?

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is directly linked to brain aging, causing the brain to shrink in size.

Israeli researchers found that not only did brain size decrease, but thinking and other brain activities in people with NAFLD also decline compared to normal people, according to Reuters.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can cause the brain to age faster and shrink to a smaller size than normal.

The team used MRI to measure the brain size of 766 middle-aged people, and compared it with CT scans of their abdomens. The results showed that up to 18% of the study participants had NAFLD.

Scientists have analyzed many risk factors that affect the aging process of the brain such as blood fat levels, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, smoking, alcohol consumption, being overweight, lack of exercise and menopause.

People with NAFLD have smaller overall brain size than other people. Even after adjusting for these factors, people with NAFLD still have smaller brains than people without NAFLD.

“Liver fat may be linked to brain aging,” said Galit Weinstein, lead author of the study at the University of Haifa in Israel.

Specifically, the results showed that the brains of people under 60 were 7.3 years older than normal people. In people aged over 60 to nearly 80, the age was 4.2 years older. Even in people aged 75, their brains were 1.5 years older than people without NAFLD, according to Reuters.

Although NAFLD appears to be linked to brain aging, it does not cause other brain conditions or strokes. Researchers recommend that people make lifestyle changes, choose healthy foods, and exercise regularly. These can improve the effects of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)./.

According to TNO