Breakthrough in the race for a treatment for fatty liver that could also reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and depression

A cure for fatty liver disease, a condition caused by overeating fatty foods, may be on the horizon after a breakthrough in understanding how brain damage occurs.

The disease affects one in four adults and children and increases the risk of dementia and depression by 40 percent.

Scientists are now working to develop treatments that are expected to work by treating, preventing or reversing fatty liver disease, which in turn will reduce the risk of developing brain diseases, the researchers say.

However, they warned that it would take more than five years for a drug to be ready for clinical trials and at least ten years for it to become available from the National Health Service – with no guarantee of success.

“It’s very disturbing to see the impact that liver fat accumulation can have on the brain, especially because it often starts lightly and can go unnoticed for years without people being aware it has it,” says Anna Hadjihambi of King’s College. London, who led the study published in the Journal of Hepatology.

“This study highlights that reducing the amount of sugar and fat in our diets is important not only to combat obesity, but also to protect the liver, maintain brain health, and reduce risk as we age.” brains are even more fragile,” she said.

Until recently, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), as it is officially known, was considered a very mild disease.

Researchers have now demonstrated a direct link between fatty liver disease and the development of neurological diseases.

They found that the accumulation of fat in the liver leads to a decrease in oxygen supply to the brain and inflammation of the brain tissue, which has been shown to lead to serious brain diseases.

The researchers also identified a protein called MCT1 that plays a key role not only in the development of fatty liver disease, but also in related brain diseases.

Now they are working on the creation of a drug that suppresses the activity of the gene responsible for protein synthesis.

MCT1 is involved in chemical reactions that release the energy needed by various cells to function.

The researchers specifically bred mice with lower protein levels and found that they had no deposits of liver fat – although they did have them in their bodies – and showed no signs of brain dysfunction when fed the same foods high in fat and sugar. diet that caused fatty liver. Illness, anxiety and depression in mice.

This suggests that a drug that can have the same inhibitory effect on the MCTI gene could be highly effective in preventing and even reversing NAFLD and, in turn, reducing the risk or slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and depression.

However, according to the researchers, treating fatty liver will not cure Alzheimer’s disease.

There is currently no medical treatment for fatty liver disease. This can be corrected with exercise and a healthier diet, but it’s hard to achieve, the doctor says. Hadjihambi.

It was already known that people with fatty liver disease were at a higher risk of dementia, but it was thought that this could be due to the obesity that usually afflicts people with the disease.

This study shows for the first time that fatty liver disease, not just obesity, affects the brain and how.

“We don’t have a cure for Alzheimer’s here. But if we have a goal to treat, prevent, or reverse liver disease, we can also protect their brains in the short and long term,” the doctor said. Hadjihambi, who will start further studies in mice next year.

“By focusing on protecting the liver, we protect the brain and hopefully reduce the number of people with these other serious brain diseases.”

“We were able to show that liver fat is a key factor in brain dysfunction/impairment, so lean people with fatty liver disease may also be at risk.”

Co-author Professor Luc Pellerin from the University of Poitiers in France added: “The identification of MCT1 as a key element in the development of both NAFLD and associated brain dysfunction points to a potential therapeutic target.”

Experts not involved in the study welcomed the results.

Fiona Harrison, an associate professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, said: “This study is very exciting because it opens up a new avenue that can be used to develop new treatments to prevent or reduce the signs of Alzheimer’s disease.”

Manuel Romero-Gómez, professor of medicine at the University of Seville, Spain, said: “These results are extremely important and of particular importance given the current pandemics of obesity, metabolic syndrome and, as a result, NAFLD.

“Through this study, MCT1 has been identified as a prophylactic therapeutic target for NAFLD and liver-related complications. Thus, NAFLD is not only a disease associated with the liver, but also a disease of the brain, so early diagnosis and preventive strategies are urgently needed. Awareness of this situation is critical for clinicians to tailor and tailor NAFLD patient follow-up strategies to improve brain health in NAFLD patients.

Pamela Healy, chief executive of the British Liver Trust, said: “These findings can be of concern and anxiety for people diagnosed with NAFLD and it is important that we put this in context.

“Not all people with NAFLD have brain problems. However, this highlights the need for further research to explore the relationship between brain health and NAFLD.

“The study also adds to the growing body of evidence on the importance of maintaining a healthy weight and reducing fat and sugar intake. This advice is important not only for maintaining the health of our liver, but also for maintaining our cognitive function.”

Professor Debbie Shawcross, who works at King’s College London but was not involved in the study, said: “By examining how the liver interacts with the brain, this landmark study sheds new light on why patients with liver disease – and especially those without t – Alcoholic fats cause liver disease – are more likely to develop depression and more likely to report short-term memory loss and cognitive impairment, which is a very important and exciting development as these findings may point to a potential treatment target.

“The study also provides new evidence for why reducing sugar and fat in our diets is important not only to fight obesity, but also to protect the liver and reduce the risk of dementia and degenerative diseases later in life to make the brain sick. . .”

What is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, how do you get it, and what can you do about it right now?

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) — or simply fatty liver disease — is caused by eating too much sugar and fat, affecting more than 80 percent of morbidly obese people.

It is a term for a number of diseases caused by the accumulation of fat in the liver, and in addition to new evidence of its effects on the brain, there is older evidence that it can cause serious liver damage, including cirrhosis. lead . when it gets worse.

High levels of liver fat are also associated with an increased risk of serious health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney disease.

“There are currently no treatments available, and the most effective way to reverse NAFLD is to make lifestyle changes with a healthy diet and exercise,” says Dr. Hadjihambi.

However, she warns that this can be difficult for many people.

“It really differs from person to person. Theoretically, people who lose excess weight can also remove fat from their liver and reverse the disease. The difficulty is that people who have been overweight for years can lose weight but do not maintain this lifestyle and end up gaining weight again, which is very common.

“In addition, the most common age of diagnosis at present is 50 years. Of course, our risk of NAFLD increases with age, our metabolism slows down, we can’t exercise as much, making it difficult to lose weight or cure the disease. However, it is possible and most people can if their body allows it (depending on age, disability, metabolism, sleep habits, etc.). This is also true for people who are not overweight and have NAFLD – dietary changes and exercise can usually help.”

The NHS recommends that people with NAFLD:

• Lose weight – you should aim for a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 (use the BMI Calculator to calculate your BMI); Losing more than 10 percent of your weight can remove some of the fat from your liver and improve NASH if you have it.
• Eat a healthy diet – try to eat a balanced diet high in fruits, vegetables, protein and carbohydrates, but low in fat, sugar and salt; Smaller portions can also help.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks
• Exercise regularly – aim for at least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity such as walking or cycling; All types of exercise can help improve NAFLD, even if you’re not losing weight.
• Quit smoking. If you smoke, quitting can reduce your risk of problems like heart attacks and strokes.