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PATIENT INFORMATION

Fat in the liver - what your results mean

Your liver tests did not show an infection, an immune cause or an iron problem, and your scarring score is reassuring. This page explains what that leaves, and what shifts it.

What this result means

Your further blood tests did not show an infection, an immune cause, an iron problem or coeliac disease. The scarring score we calculate from your results was reassuring too.

That leaves the most common explanation of all: extra fat stored in the liver. When alcohol is not the cause, the NHS calls this non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It is now also known as MASLD.

The liver is not meant to store much fat. When it does, the cells become irritated, and that shows up as a raised reading. It is very common.

It is linked to weight around the middle, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. These are the same things that raise your chance of a heart attack or stroke.

In some people alcohol is the main cause, or part of it. If that is you, your GP will have said so in the text. Cutting down is the change that matters most, and we can help with that.

Two things worth knowing

For most people, fat in the liver does not cause liver trouble. Most people stay at the first stage, where there is fat but no damage. A small number go on to scarring, and lifestyle changes help prevent that.

Your reassuring scarring score is the important part of today's result. It is why we are checking again in 3 years rather than sooner.

Fat in the liver also raises your chance of a heart attack or stroke, especially with type 2 diabetes. The changes that help your liver protect your heart as well. One set of changes, 2 benefits.

What we have done

Your GP has reviewed all your results and recorded the cause. No tablets are needed for the liver itself. We will remind you when your next liver check is due.

What you need to do

These are the changes that help.

Do

  • lose weight if you are above a healthy weight, because this reduces fat in the liver
  • aim for at least 150 minutes of exercise a week; there is some evidence it reduces liver fat
  • keep alcohol within 14 units a week, spread over 3 or more days, with several drink-free days
  • eat a healthy, balanced diet, because there is no special liver diet
  • keep up any treatment for blood pressure, cholesterol or diabetes

Do not

  • do not do not smoke
  • do not do not buy supplements, herbal remedies or detox products for your liver
  • do not do not stop a prescribed medicine, including a statin, without speaking to us
Liver supplements, milk thistle and detoxes

NICE looked at omega-3 supplements and does not advise them. No other supplement, herbal remedy or detox you can buy is recommended for fat in the liver. Some herbal products and high-dose green tea extract can make liver readings worse.

Liver specialists sometimes use vitamin E for people with advanced liver scarring. Your scarring score is reassuring, so that does not apply to you.

Whether your liver reading will go back to normal

Sometimes, but not always, and it is not the thing to watch. The reading can be normal in someone whose liver is scarred.

That is why we track the scarring score rather than the ALT number alone.

Statins and other tablets

You do not need to stop them. NICE advises people with fat in the liver who take a statin to keep taking it. A slightly raised liver reading is not on its own a reason to stop.

NICE's one exception is a reading that doubles within 3 months of starting a statin. Your GP would discuss that with you.

What happens next

Your next liver check is due in 3 years, and we will remind you. Your GP will say in the text if an earlier blood test is needed.

The NHS page below suggests a yearly check-up. If you do not already have yearly checks for blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, ask us about one.

Contact us sooner if you get diabetes, gain a lot of weight, or start drinking over 14 units a week.

Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A&E if you:

  • vomit blood
  • have black, tarry poo
  • become confused or unusually drowsy

Urgent advice: Contact the surgery the same day if:

  • your skin or the whites of your eyes turn yellow
  • you have severe tummy pain

More information

NHS.UKNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)www.nhs.uk/conditions/non-alcoholic-fatty-liver-disease/ NHS.UKAlcohol units - how to count themwww.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/calculating-alcohol-units/

Reviewed 23 October 2026 ยท next review 16 December 2026