About the Liver
The liver is one of the largest and most vital organs in the human body, weighing about 3 pounds in adults. It's located in the upper right portion of the abdominal cavity and performs over 500 functions critical to maintaining overall health.
Primary Functions:
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Detoxification: The liver filters and detoxifies blood, removing harmful substances like drugs, alcohol, and metabolic waste.
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Metabolism: It plays a crucial role in metabolizing carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. It converts excess glucose into glycogen for storage and releases it when needed.
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Production of Bile: The liver produces bile, a substance essential for digesting fats and absorbing fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K).
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Storage of Nutrients: It stores essential vitamins and minerals, such as iron and vitamin B12, as well as glycogen.
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Synthesis of Proteins: The liver produces important proteins for blood plasma, such as albumin and clotting factors.
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Immune System Support: It helps regulate immune responses and fights infections by producing immune factors and removing bacteria from the bloodstream.
There are many causes of chronic liver disease
Fatty liver (also known as NASH or MASH)
Alcohol-related liver disease
Viral hepatitis (e.g., hepatitis B & C)
Autoimmune liver diseases (e.g., PBC, PSC, autoimmune hepatitis)
Drugs and toxins
Most chronic liver diseases are silent and can progress to cirrhosis or liver cancer without causing any symptoms.
Cirrhosis is the end-stage of chronic liver disease and is generally irreversible
once evidence of liver failure has occurred. The only curative treatment option
for decompensated cirrhosis is liver transplantation.
However, damage to the liver caused by chronic liver diseases can often be reversed
with early diagnosis and treatment.
FibroScan® enables the comprehensive management of liver health and is used for all causes of chronic liver disease, including those in early stage.