Irregular Periods and Fatty Liver Disease in Young Women

Introduction

Recent research has uncovered a potential connection between irregular menstrual cycles and an increased risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in younger women. Led by Dr. Seungho Ryu from Kangbuk Samsung Hospital and Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea, this study examined over 72,000 women under 40, revealing that about 28% with irregular periods were at a higher risk for NAFLD. Although the study does not establish a direct causation, it highlights a significant association that warrants further exploration. This link could be influenced by hormonal imbalances, particularly in estrogen and testosterone levels, which are known to affect both menstrual health and liver function.

1.Research on liver disease

Senior study author Seungho Ryu, Ph.D., of Kangbuk Samsung Hospital and Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea, said that one study showed that long or irregular menstrual cycles are associated with fatty liver. may be due to an increased risk of developing the disease and is not explained by obesity. All of the women in the study were under the age of 40 and were part of the Kangbuk Samsung Health Study in South Korea. The researchers studied a data set of 72,092 women under the age of 40. About 28% of these women had prolonged or irregular menstrual periods and 7% had NAFLD. The researchers followed up four years later and found that new cases of NAFLD had occurred in about 9 percent of women. The researchers concluded that there was an association between younger women, premature cessation of periods, longer or irregular menstrual cycles and an increased risk of NAFLD in women. Contact for treatment. Young women with long or irregular menstrual periods may benefit from making lifestyle changes to reduce their risk of NAFLD as well as other cardio metabolic diseases, Reeve said.

2.Menstruation is directly related to liver disease or not

The study was not done to prove whether or not menstrual periods directly cause liver disease, says Demetrios Koutoukids, PhD, a nutrition and obesity researcher at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. But it’s possible that abnormal levels of the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone may play a role in both menstrual irregularities and the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

3.Precautions to reduce the risk of liver disease

There is no surefire way to prevent fatty liver disease for women with irregular or unusually long menstrual periods, says Dr. Kotokides. But there are many things that are part of a generally healthy lifestyle that can also help minimize the risk of liver disease.

• Maintain your healthy weight.
• Drink any beverages in moderation.
• Avoid smoking.

“I think a good takeaway from the study is that women with irregular periods should book an appointment with a reproductive endocrinologist, to have their liver function checked and their hormonal levels checked,” Gaither said. Benny said she should encourage all women to improve their health by taking these steps to reduce their risk of metabolic disease. Bess Berger, a registered dietitian who treats PCOS and owner of Nutrition by Bess, said that changing the sources of carbohydrates can help reduce the risk of NAFLD. This doesn’t mean you should cut out carbs completely. Rather, you can avoid processed carbs that are difficult for the body to digest. Contact a dietitian now for a healthy diet plan. This gives your body a chance to avoid processed carbs and consume fresh, nutritious, high-quality foods that can be beneficial to your health, Berger said. Irregular menstrual periods may be linked to an increased risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), new research suggests. Irregular periods have been previously caused by type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The link between irregular periods and NAFLD is unclear, but researchers suspect that it may be related to estrogen exposure and hepatic iron buildup.

Conclusion

The emerging evidence suggests that irregular menstrual cycles may be associated with a heightened risk of developing NAFLD, though a direct causal relationship has not yet been proven. Women experiencing prolonged or irregular periods should consider consulting healthcare professionals for comprehensive evaluations of their liver function and hormonal levels. Embracing a healthy lifestyle, including maintaining a balanced weight, avoiding excessive alcohol, and refraining from smoking, can also help mitigate the risk of liver disease. Additionally, dietary adjustments, such as reducing processed carbohydrates, can support overall health and potentially lower the risk of NAFLD. Ongoing research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms linking menstrual irregularities with liver health.