Liver Disease in Men What You Need to Know

Liver Disease in Men Essential Information

Every year, 2 million cases of death from liver diseases are registered worldwide (Asrani et al., 2019).  The liver, one of the most important organs, helps detoxify the body from harmful components.  Any damage to the liver can severely disturb the normal functioning of the body.

Liver Diseases

Liver diseases comprise a myriad of conditions ranging from infections to cirrhosis to cancer. This article will focus on the most common liver diseases affecting males.  

*NOTE: You can find a summary chart at the end of this article comparing the different liver conditions

What Causes Liver Disease?

There are several causes of liver disease:

• Alcohol
• Viruses
• Drugs and toxins
• Metabolic
• Autoimmunity

Signs and Symptoms of Liver Disease

The signs and symptoms of liver disease can vary according to the specific condition. However, liver diseases can also present with some common features as listed below:

• Jaundice

Jaundice involves the yellowing of the skin and sclera.

• Abdominal Tenderness

Most patients complain of pain on palpation of the right upper quadrant of the abdomen.

• Hepatomegaly
  Hepatomegaly is the enlargement of the liver. It occurs due to vascular swelling, inflammation or harmful deposits like iron and fat.
• Ascites
  Ascites is the term used to describe fluid inside the abdominal cavity. Ascites is commonly caused by liver scarring, which scientists refer to as liver cirrhosis.
• A palpable lump over the liver area

A palpable lump over the right upper quadrant can signify the presence of a tumour.

Important Tests Your Doctor Will Request

Depending on your clinical picture, your healthcare professional will want to order certain tests to diagnose your illness. The most routinely used tests for liver disease are listed below:

• Liver Enzymes: Aspartate Transaminase (AST) and Alanine Transaminase (ALT)
• Viral Serology for Hepatitis A, B, C, D or E
• Abdominal Ultrasound
• Liver Biopsy

Management

The treatment of liver disease varies according to the patient’s clinical picture, risk factors, family history, age, and many other factors.

• Supportive treatment with intravenous fluids and pain-killers
• Antivirals and anti-inflammatory medications
• Liver surgery
• Liver transplant

Prevention

You can make lifestyle changes to lower your risk. Here are some recommended strategies to protect yourself and others:

• Cut Down on Alcohol

Limiting your alcohol intake will help your liver drastically.

• The maximum amount of alcohol recommended for men is 14 units weekly, extended evenly over three or more days (NHS, 2020).

*Conversion: 1 Unit of Alcohol = 10 ml of pure alcohol

• Avoid Risky Behaviors

You can avoid being infected by the hepatitis virus by avoiding risky behaviors such as sharing of needles and having unprotected sexual intercourse.

• Avoid Medications in Excess

Only take medications as recommended by your healthcare professional. Avoid the following medications if you have any of the symptoms mentioned above. These medications have been found to precipitate hepatitis (David et al., 2010).

• Statins
  • Acetaminophen
  • Izoniazid
  • Penicillins
  • Antiretroviral therapy

• Maintain a Healthy BMI

BMI stands for Body Mass Index. It is calculated as follows:

• BMI (Kg/m²) = Weight (Kg)/Height² (m²)

The ideal BMI recommended for an adult male is 18.5-24.9 Kg/m²

• Avoid Contact with Infected Body Fluids

To protect yourself from the deadly hepatitis viruses, wear protective equipment when in contact with infected people.

References:

1. Asrani, S., Devarbhavi, H., Eaton, J. and Kamath, P. (2019). Burden of liver diseases in the world. Journal of Hepatology, 70(1), pp.151-171.
   Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30266282
2. Nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk. (2020). NHS Direct Wales – Live Well : Alcohol. [online]
   Available at: https://www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/livewell/LifestyleWellbeing/Alcohol
3. David, S., & Hamilton, J. P. (2010). Drug-induced Liver Injury. US gastroenterology & hepatology review, 6, 73–80.
   Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3160634/#!po=45.8333
4. Akinyemiju, T., Abera, S., Ahmed, M., Alam, N., Alemayohu, M., Allen, C., Al-Raddadi, R., Alvis-Guzman, N., Amoako, Y., Artaman, A., Ayele, T., Barac, A., Bensenor, I., Berhane, A., Bhutta, Z., Castillo-Rivas, J., Chitheer, A., Choi, J., Cowie, B., Dandona, L., Dandona, R., Dey, S., Dicker, D., Phuc, H., Ekwueme, D., Zaki, M., Fischer, F., Fürst, T., Hancock, J., Hay, S., Hotez, P., Jee, S., Kasaeian, A., Khader, Y., Khang, Y., Kumar, G., Kutz, M., Larson, H., Lopez, A., Lunevicius, R., Malekzadeh, R., McAlinden, C., Meier, T., Mendoza, W., Mokdad, A., Moradi-Lakeh, M., Nagel, G., Nguyen, Q., Nguyen, G., Ogbo, F., Patton, G., Pereira, D., Pourmalek, F., Qorbani, M., Radfar, A., Roshandel, G., Salomon, J., Sanabria, J., Sartorius, B., Satpathy, M., Sawhney, M., Sepanlou, S., Shackelford, K., Shore, H., Sun, J., Mengistu, D., Topór-Madry, R., Tran, B., Ukwaja, K., Vlassov, V., Vollset, S., Vos, T., Wakayo, T., Weiderpass, E., Werdecker, A., Yonemoto, N., Younis, M., Yu, C., Zaidi, Z., Zhu, L., Murray, C., Naghavi, M. and Fitzmaurice, C. (2017). The Burden of Primary Liver Cancer and Underlying Etiologies From 1990 to 2015 at the Global, Regional, and National Level. JAMA Oncology, 3(12), p.1683.
   Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5824275/

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