Fatty Liver Disease: The Silent Epidemic Quietly Hitting Urban India

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is now the most common chronic liver condition in India. Many urban Indians in their 30s already have early-stage fatty liver — and almost none of them know it until a routine ultrasound flags it.

Why Fatty Liver Is Exploding in India

• High-sugar, high-refined-carb diets
• Sedentary work and long commutes
• Central obesity even at "normal" weight (the "thin-fat" Indian)
• Insulin resistance and prediabetes
• Underdiagnosed sleep apnoea

Why You Shouldn't Ignore It

Fatty liver can progress quietly from simple steatosis → NASH (inflammation) → fibrosis → cirrhosis → liver cancer. The earlier it's caught, the more easily it reverses with diet, exercise and weight loss.

Early Warning Signs

• Mild fatigue or right-side upper abdominal discomfort
• Dark patches on the neck or armpits (acanthosis nigricans)
• Borderline-high triglycerides
• Elevated ALT on a routine LFT

Tests That Detect Fatty Liver Early

• Liver Function Test (LFT) — focus on ALT, AST, ALP
• GGT — rises early in fatty liver
• Fasting Insulin + HOMA-IR — measures insulin resistance
• Lipid Profile + Triglycerides
• Abdominal Ultrasound — first-line imaging (see our Radiology services)
• FibroScan / Elastography — measures liver stiffness non-invasively
• HBsAg + Anti-HCV — rules out viral causes

Reversing Fatty Liver

• Lose 7–10% of body weight (this alone reverses most early NAFLD)
• Cut added sugar, refined flour and fructose-rich drinks
• 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week
• Treat sleep apnoea if present
• Avoid alcohol completely while liver enzymes are elevated

Book a fatty liver screening at Aarvak Diagnostics with home sample collection across Gurugram.