Fatty Liver Disease in Grand Rapids, Michigan

The liver, located in the upper-right side of your abdomen, is the largest internal organ in the body. For people living in Grand Rapids and across West Michigan, keeping your liver healthy is especially important because conditions like fatty liver disease are becoming more common, often linked to lifestyle, diet, and metabolic health.

The Liver’s Main Functions

Your liver plays a vital role in keeping you healthy. Its main functions include:

  • Removing toxins from the blood
  • Processing nutrients from the food you eat
  • Helping regulate blood sugar and cholesterol
  • Producing bile to help digest fats

Blood from your digestive system passes through the liver before it travels to the rest of your body. When the liver is overloaded with fat, these functions can be affected.

What Is Fatty Liver Disease?

Fatty liver disease (also called hepatic steatosis) is the build-up of excess fat in liver cells. It is one of the most common liver problems in Western countries, including the United States and Michigan.

It is normal for the liver to contain a small amount of fat. However, if fat makes up more than about 10% of the liver’s weight, you are considered to have fatty liver disease and may be at risk for more serious liver conditions.

Many people in the Grand Rapids area may have fatty liver without knowing it, especially if they have risk factors like obesity, diabetes, or high cholesterol.

Types of Fatty Liver Disease

Fatty liver disease can be divided into two main types:

1. Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)

  • Fat builds up in the liver in people who drink little or no alcohol.
  • Often linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, high triglycerides, and metabolic syndrome.
  • When fat causes inflammation and liver cell damage, it is called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
  • Caused by heavy or long-term alcohol use.
  • When alcohol-related fat in the liver becomes inflamed, it is called alcoholic steatohepatitis.

Both NASH and alcoholic steatohepatitis can lead to scarring of the liver.

Steatohepatitis and Cirrhosis

What Is Steatohepatitis?

When excess fat in the liver leads to inflammation and liver cell damage, the condition is called steatohepatitis. This can happen with or without alcohol use:

  • Alcoholic steatohepatitis – linked to alcohol abuse
  • Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) – occurs in people who drink little or no alcohol

Over time, chronic inflammation can cause scar tissue to form in the liver.

Cirrhosis and Liver Failure

If inflammation and scarring continue, the liver can become hardened and severely scarred. This is called cirrhosis, a serious condition that can lead to:

  • Liver failure
  • Internal bleeding
  • Fluid buildup in the abdomen
  • Increased risk of liver cancer

NASH is now one of the top three leading causes of cirrhosis in the United States, including Michigan.

Causes and Risk Factors for Fatty Liver Disease

How Fat Builds Up in the Liver

Fatty liver develops when the liver cannot process and break down fats normally. This may happen because:

  • The liver takes in more fat from the blood than it can handle
  • The liver absorbs more fat from the intestine
  • The liver loses its ability to convert fat into a form that can be removed from the body

Eating fatty foods alone does not usually cause fatty liver. The problem is more often related to overall calorie intake, weight gain, and metabolic issues.

Common Causes and Risk Factors

People in Grand Rapids may be more likely to develop fatty liver disease if they have:

  • Overweight or obesity
    • Body mass index (BMI) 25–30 (overweight)
    • BMI over 30 (obesity), especially with extra fat around the waist
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • High triglycerides or abnormal cholesterol levels
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Rapid weight loss
  • Poor nutrition or malnutrition
  • Heavy alcohol use (for alcohol-related fatty liver disease)

Michigan’s long, cold winters can also contribute indirectly. People may be less active, spend more time indoors, and rely on higher-calorie comfort foods, all of which can increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, and fatty liver disease.

Metabolic Syndrome and Fatty Liver Disease

Many researchers believe that metabolic syndrome plays a key role in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and NASH. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that raise your risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and fatty liver.

Signs and components of metabolic syndrome include:

  • Abdominal obesity – extra fat around the waist
  • High blood pressure (hypertension)
  • Abnormal cholesterol levels
    • High triglycerides (a type of blood fat)
    • Low HDL (“good”) cholesterol
  • Insulin resistance – when your body does not respond well to insulin, the hormone that helps control blood sugar

Among these, insulin resistance may be the most important trigger for NASH.

Researchers think that fatty liver can remain stable for years, causing little harm, until a “second hit” such as a bacterial infection, hormonal changes, or additional metabolic stress pushes the liver toward inflammation, cirrhosis, and failure.

Symptoms of Fatty Liver Disease

Often No Symptoms

A fatty liver by itself usually causes no symptoms. Many people in Grand Rapids discover they have fatty liver disease only when:

  • They have blood tests for another reason
  • A doctor notices an enlarged liver during a physical exam
  • Imaging tests (such as ultrasound) are done for unrelated issues

Possible Symptoms as Disease Progresses

If fatty liver progresses to NASH, cirrhosis, or liver failure, you may experience:

  • Persistent fatigue or low energy
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Discomfort, fullness, or pain in the upper-right abdomen
  • Weakness
  • Confusion or trouble concentrating

These symptoms are not specific to fatty liver disease, so it’s important to see a healthcare provider in Grand Rapids for proper evaluation.

How Fatty Liver Disease Is Diagnosed in Grand Rapids

If your doctor suspects fatty liver disease, they may order:

  • Blood tests, including liver function tests (LFTs)
  • Ultrasound of the liver
  • CT scan or MRI of the abdomen
  • Evaluation for other liver diseases (such as viral hepatitis, autoimmune liver disease, or genetic conditions)

If other liver diseases are ruled out and imaging suggests fat and inflammation, you may be diagnosed with NASH.

Liver Biopsy

The only way to confirm NASH and assess the amount of scarring is a liver biopsy. During this procedure:

  • A doctor inserts a thin needle into the liver
  • A small sample of liver tissue is removed
  • A pathologist examines the tissue under a microscope

Liver biopsies are often performed at major Grand Rapids hospitals such as:

  • Spectrum Health (Corewell Health)
  • Trinity Health Grand Rapids
  • Metro Health – University of Michigan Health
  • Mercy Health (now part of Trinity Health)

Questions to Ask Your Grand Rapids Doctor

If you are diagnosed with fatty liver disease or NASH, consider asking:

  • What is the most likely cause of my fatty liver?
  • Do I have NASH? If not, how likely am I to develop NASH?
  • Do I have cirrhosis? If not, what is my risk of developing cirrhosis?
  • Do I need to lose weight? How much, and how can I do it safely?
  • Should I be on medication to control my cholesterol or triglycerides?
  • How should I manage my diabetes or prediabetes?
  • How often do I need follow-up visits and testing?

Discuss these questions with your primary care provider or a gastroenterologist/hepatologist at a local Grand Rapids clinic or hospital.

Treatment and Management of Fatty Liver Disease

There is currently no single “cure” for fatty liver disease, but many cases can be improved or even reversed with lifestyle changes and careful medical management.

Lifestyle Changes

If you have fatty liver disease, and especially if you have NASH, your doctor may recommend:

  • Safe weight loss
    • Aim to lose about 1–2 pounds (0.5–1 kg) per week
    • Rapid weight loss can actually worsen fatty liver
  • Healthy eating
    • Emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins
    • Limit sugary drinks, refined carbs, and high-calorie snacks
    • Reduce saturated fats and trans fats
  • Increase physical activity
    • Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week (such as brisk walking or indoor exercise during Michigan winters)
  • Avoid alcohol
    • Especially important if you have NASH or alcohol-related fatty liver disease
  • Control diabetes
    • Keep blood sugar in target range with diet, exercise, and medications if needed
  • Lower triglycerides and cholesterol
    • Through diet, medications, or both

Medications Under Study

Researchers, including specialists at major medical centers in Michigan, are studying medications that may help reduce liver inflammation and improve metabolic health. These include:

  • Diabetes medications (even for people without diabetes), such as:
    • Metformin
    • Pioglitazone
    • Rosiglitazone
  • Orlistat (Xenical)
    • A weight-loss medication that blocks absorption of some dietary fat
    • Early studies suggest it may reduce fat in the liver in some patients

These medications are not appropriate for everyone and should only be used under the guidance of a healthcare provider familiar with liver disease.

Regular Follow-Up

Because fatty liver can change over time, it is important to:

  • Get regular check-ups with a doctor who understands liver disease
  • Monitor liver function tests, blood sugar, and cholesterol
  • Update your care plan as needed

In Grand Rapids, you can access liver care through:

  • Gastroenterology and hepatology clinics at Spectrum Health/Corewell Health
  • Trinity Health Grand Rapids liver and digestive disease centers
  • Metro Health – University of Michigan Health
  • Other local specialists in West Michigan

Prevention and Reversal of Fatty Liver Disease

To help prevent fatty liver disease—or to support reversal if you already have it—focus on:

  • Maintaining a healthy weight
  • Eating a balanced, nutrient-rich diet
  • Staying physically active year-round (consider indoor walking tracks, fitness centers, or home workouts during winter)
  • Limiting or avoiding alcohol
  • Managing diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol
  • Getting regular check-ups with your Grand Rapids primary care provider

The Kent County Health Department and Grand Rapids Public Health resources can provide information on nutrition, diabetes prevention, and physical activity programs that support liver health.

Where to Get Help in Grand Rapids, MI

If you are concerned about fatty liver disease, contact:

  • Your primary care provider or family doctor
  • A gastroenterologist or hepatologist at:
    • Spectrum Health/Corewell Health
    • Trinity Health Grand Rapids
    • Metro Health – University of Michigan Health
    • Mercy Health/Trinity Health locations

For public health information and community resources:

  • Kent County Health Department
  • Grand Rapids Public Health programs (nutrition, weight management, diabetes education)

If you experience severe abdominal pain, confusion, yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice), or swelling in your legs or abdomen, seek urgent medical care at your nearest Grand Rapids emergency department.

Key Points About Fatty Liver Disease

  • The liver’s main functions are to remove toxins and process food nutrients.
  • Fatty liver disease is the build-up of excess fat in liver cells and is common in Western countries, including Michigan.
  • Fatty liver may cause no damage at first, but excess fat can lead to inflammation of the liver.
  • This inflammation, called steatohepatitis, can cause liver damage.
  • NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis) is one of the top three leading causes of cirrhosis.
  • Lifestyle changes—especially weight loss, healthy eating, and physical activity—are the foundation of treatment and prevention.
  • Early diagnosis and ongoing care from Grand Rapids healthcare providers can significantly improve outcomes.