Long, Irregular Menstrual Cycles in Women Make Them More At Risk for Fatty Liver Disease

Study findings recently showed that long or irregular menstrual cycles might be linked to an increased risk of developing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD, and such an association was not explained by obesity.

As indicated in a EurekAlert! report, women suffering from irregular periods are known to have a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

However, as indicated in the new study, it was found that these women may also be at risk for developing NAFLD.

Approximately 24 percent of adults in the United States have NAFLD, a chronic illness in which excess fat builds up in the liver. Such a buildup of fat does not result from heavy use of alcohol.

NAFLD can evolve to chronic liver damage and is linked to a higher risk of death. Diet and exercise are the standard of care for this condition as no medicines have been approved to treat the disease.

Long, Irregular Menstrual Cycles in Women Make the More At Risk for Fatty Liver Disease; Researchers Emphasize Importance of Lifestyle Change

(Photo: Pexels/Mikhail Nilov )
Diet and exercise are the standard of care for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease as no medicines have been approved to treat the disease.

Link Between Menstrual Cycles and NAFLD

According to Seungho Ryu, MD, Ph.D. of the Center for Cohort Studies, Total Healthcare Center, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea, past studies have shown that long or irregular periods are linked to diabetes and heart condition, although their research is the first to discover an association "between long and irregular menstrual cycles and NAFLD."

In their study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, the study authors examined a data set of more than 72,000 women below 40 years of age. Approximately 28 percent of these women had irregular or long menstrual cycles, while seven percent had NAFLD.

Moreover, the team followed up four years later and discovered new cases of NAFLD occurred in nearly nine percent of the women. They concluded a link between long or irregular menstrual cycles in young, menopausal women and an increased risk of NAFLD.

Ryu explained young women who have long or irregular menstrual cycles might benefit "from lifestyle changes to reduce" the risk of NAFLD and other cardiometabolic disorders.

About Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Mayo Clinic describes NAFLD as an "increasingly common disease" globally, specifically in Western nations. It is the most common type of chronic liver disease in the US that affects approximately a quarter of the population.

Some people who have the condition can develop nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH, an aggressive type of fatty liver disease marked by liver inflammation and may develop to advanced scarring or cirrhosis and liver failure. Such damage is akin to the impairment caused by heavy use of alcohol.

Typically, NAFLD causes no indications and symptoms, and when it does, it may include pain or discomfort in the upper right abdomen and fatigue.

Probable indications and symptoms of NASH and cirrhosis may include ascites or abdominal swelling, enlarged spleen, enlarged blood vessels just underneath the skin's surface, red palms, and jaundice or yellowing of the eyes and skin.

Prevention

As mentioned, no medicines have been approved to treat NAFLD, but there are steps to consider to prevent the disease. These include:

1. Exercise

Before doing this, it is important to get a doctor's approval if you have not been exercising regularly. And if he approves, consider exercising most days of the week.

Exercise has a multitude of benefits for patients living with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, according to @JonathanStineMD. Read more about the results of his clinical trial: https://t.co/mL45pTwxqb
— Penn State Health (@PennStHershey) March 3, 2022

2. Keep a Healthy Weight

If you are diagnosed overweight or obese, lessen the number of calories you eat every day and exercise more. If you have a healthy weight, work to keep or retain it by opting for a healthy diet and exercising.