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Study: Exercise helps patients with fatty liver improve condition

Category: Liver Diseases

Regular aerobic exercise may help individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD, receive healthier liver test results, according to a new study from researchers at the Cleveland Clinic.

Rates of NAFLD have increased along with the rising tide of obesity in the U.S. It is characterized by high amounts of fat in the liver, which can cause inflammation and scarring, both of which contribute to cirrhosis and liver failure.

However, the researchers found that when participants with the condition spent one hour per day on a treadmill for a period of seven days, they experienced significant reductions in markers of inflammation, burned more body fat and improved their liver function.

The researchers said that their results provided further evidence to suggest that exercise truly is the best medicine for individuals who suffer from complications caused by obesity.

"Exercise appears to affect the cumulative metabolic risk factors for the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease," says Dr. Jacob Haus, who led the investigation. "We like to think of exercise as medicine."