Can Liver Disease Cause High Cholesterol Levels – Is It Curable?
The liver is an integral part of the body. Being the largest gland, it undertakes some of the crucial body functions. It helps to process the toxins from the body.
Only with this organ’s help can the body extract glycogen from any substance consumed.
This glycogen is a primary source of energy for the body. It helps to process fats and proteins for easy digestion.
The liver helps produce good cholesterol for the body that is required to balance hormones and even create enzymes.
This is how a healthy liver performs. However, any liver complications hinder the organ’s ability to perform any of these functions properly.
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Liver Problems Affect The Production Of Cholesterol
Liver diseases can create an imbalance in the production of cholesterol in the human body.
There are two types of cholesterol in the body: HDL, which is the good cholesterol, and LDL, which is the bad cholesterol.
Both of them are equally essential for the body. Your total cholesterol comprises HDL, LDL, and one-fifth of triglyceride (fat molecule).
Any levels of HDL below 40 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) and 200 mg/dL are optimal for the body.
However, liver diseases can alter this amount and complicate matters further.
Let us explore some forms of liver diseases and how they impact cholesterol levels.
Types Of Liver Diseases
Let us understand these diseases one by one:
â—¼ Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
This is one of the most common forms of liver malfunction. It is probably a side effect of diabetes.
Due to a fatty liver, it becomes difficult for the body to produce the required levels of HDL and LDL. This disease is associated with abnormal cholesterol levels.
The body loses its capacity to distribute fat across the organs. As a result, it can seriously impact important functions such as digestion.
â—¼ Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is a major liver disease. This problem is caused due to the inherent inflammation in the liver.
This inflammation is caused due to excessive alcohol and drug consumption over some time.
Notably, it fails to produce any symptoms during the initial stages. That is why it becomes difficult to identify.
Cirrhosis can impact the capacity of the organ to perform basic metabolic functions.
As a result, the liver fails to produce any cholesterol. The body becomes weak, feeble, and prone to different kinds of illness.
â—¼ Acute Hepatitis
Excessive consumption of recreational drugs can trigger acute and chronic hepatitis.
Various drugs such as busulfan, amoxicillin, dantrolene, ritonavir, isoniazid, and bromfenac severely damage the liver. It mitigates the production of cholesterol.
It also creates an imbalance between good and bad cholesterol levels in the body.
Despite the withdrawal of the drugs, these side effects do not mitigate over time.
â—¼ Jaundice
Jaundice is a health problem that causes high fever. One tends to experience yellow skin and eyes as well. It raises the cholesterol level in the blood.
The increase in the levels of cholesterol in the blood makes it thick.
As a result, the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, cardiac arrests, etc increases.
However, this is a curable problem through the adequate medication of the doctor.
â—¼ Liver Cancer
The unregulated growth of abnormal and carcinogenic cells in the liver is a serious health condition.
Patients diagnosed with cancer are likely to have higher levels of cholesterol. It can lead to multiple organ failure as well.
Therefore, patients with liver cancer are exposed to a very high risk. It can also lead to a loss of appetite and tiredness.
Diagnosis: How To Cure Cholesterol Levels Caused By Liver Disease?
Abnormalities and complications in the liver are the primary reasons for imbalanced cholesterol levels.
Any change in the body’s cholesterol levels can result in bloating, the appearance of bruises, weakness, fatigue, and even an increased body temperature.
One must visit a doctor immediately before it is too late. These symptoms are very normal to bear, and you may not realize the gravity behind them until their severity increases.
Doctors usually prescribe multiple tests to identify liver problems. These tests include:
- Liver protein test: This test detects the quantity of protein synthesis in the liver. Higher proteins help the blood to clot and vice-versa. Slow clotting due to fewer proteins is a sign of liver damage and requires immediate diagnosis.
- Single lipoprotein test: This test directly measures the levels of good and bad cholesterol in the body.
Conclusion
Therefore, liver maintenance is crucial for the long-term sustainability of the body. Consumption of a good diet is very beneficial to ensure good health.
Therefore, every attempt must be made to avoid such situations in the long run.
It is important to regularly check the cholesterol levels to avoid any long-term repercussions.
