Non-practitioners are more likely to have fatty liver disease

"It can be important to train with enough intensity to improve physical fitness, both to prevent and treat fatty liver disease," says Ilaria Croci, a postdoctoral fellow at the US-based research group. Heart Exercise of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and Queensland Australia.

Little known, but common

You may not have heard of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. But you can always know someone who has it. They may not even know it, because usually the disease does not produce any symptoms. Symptoms or not – fatty liver is not a health problem, it contributes to the development of lifestyle-related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The Croci study is based on HUNT3 – the third wave of the health study in North Trøndelag. About 16,000 study participants did a blood test and their body composition was measured so that researchers could determine whether or not they had a fatty liver.

At least 36% – more than a third – had non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Low fitness, higher risk

As the name suggests, the disease involves too much fat in the liver. Alcohol abuse can lead to fatty liver, but non-alcoholic fatty liver is due to other causes. People who are overweight and whose blood glucose control is poorly controlled are at increased risk, as are those who lead sedentary lives.

"Even people who are sedentary only briefly during the day have a markedly increased incidence of fatty liver if they are in bad shape."

The only recommended medication is to eat healthy and lose weight, but the results of Croci's new study indicate that a good physical condition can also reduce the consequences of the disease.

"First, people who are not fit are several times more likely to have a fatty liver." Second, those who already have a fatty liver live shorter if they are in bad shape, "she says.

Fitness is more important than inactivity

Other studies have shown that sedentary people for much of the day are more likely to have a fatty liver. The new NTNU study confirms this link, but at the same time shows that a person's fitness level is much more important.

"Even people who are sedentary only briefly during the day have a markedly increased incidence of fatty liver if they are in bad shape," says Croci.

"It may seem contradictory that being in good shape means more than just exercising according to the official guidelines for physical activity."

She pointed out that the 20% of participants whose fitness levels were the poorest were 17 to 18 times more likely to suffer from fatty liver than the 40% who were in better shape. The results were the same for participants who reported sitting less than four hours a day and those who sat more than seven hours a day.

As part of the study, researchers calculated participants' fitness level using the CERG fitness calculator, but nearly 600 of them also accurately measured their fitness using the CERG Fitness Calculator. an exhausting exercise test on a treadmill. The results of the direct training test confirmed the close link between poor fitness and fatty liver.

S & # 39; train with sense

The study also indicates that the type of physical activity that a person does if the goal is to avoid fatty liver makes a difference. The link between fitness and hepatic steatosis was not related to whether or not people follow official physical activity recommendations. For example, these recommendations can be met by performing 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week.

"It may seem contradictory that being in good shape means more than exercise according to the recommendations.However, many people do not see their shape improve if they only do it. Exercise with moderate intensity.High intensity workouts greatly improves your fitness, and that is why I urge people to exercise regularly with enough intensity to make you sweat and run out of breath. " , says Croci.

Live as long as possible with foie gras

HUNT3 was performed between 2006 and 2008. Nine years later, 353 people out of 5600 with fatty liver died.

The fifth of the least fit participants had a risk of premature death more than 50% higher than those who were in better shape.

This is the first study showing that good conditioning promotes survival of people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and that this benefit is independent of the level of physical activity and the number of people. hours of sedentary life. "

Ilaria Croci, postdoctoral fellow, NTNU

NB! All of the badyzes in the study took into account that participants with poor fitness levels also differ in many other areas from those who are in better shape. This means that differences in age, bad, smoking, body weight, blood pressure or lifestyle-related illnesses such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease do not explain the relationship between poor physical fitness , fatty liver and increased risk of premature death.