(Ivanhoe Newswire) – Metabolic syndrome has a new partner in crime.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the latest condition stemming from
poor physical fitness and may threaten your health in the same dangerous ways.
Being physically unfit can put you at risk of developing NAFLD – a disease that
causes the accumulation of fat in the liver, leading to high levels of fat in
the blood stream, amplifying the risk-factors of obesity. Like alcohol abuse,
NAFLD causes liver damage called fibrosis, which can lead to cirrhosis.
In tests on rats, researchers found those bred to be physically unfit displayed
clear symptoms of NAFLD, including poor fat processing power, high fat
retention, weakened cell mitochondria and other abnormalities. By the end of
their natural lives, the unfit rats sustained significant damage including
fibrosis and unexpected cell death. The fit rats, however, had healthy livers
throughout their lives.
"Your personal aerobic fitness is not something you will see in the mirror but
it is an important predictor of your long-term health," John Thyfault, Ph.D.,
the study’s lead author from the University of Missouri in Columbia, was quoted
as saying. "The most important part of physical activity is protecting yourself
from diseases that can be fatal or play a significant role in increasing the
risk factors for other metabolic diseases."
Researchers say their results suggest NAFLD could potentially be treated or
prevented with a suitable exercise program.
SOURCE: The Journal of Physiology, April 15, 2009
