The Positive Impact of Weight Management on Liver Cirrhosis

Abstract

Weight management offers patients with liver cirrhosis significant health benefits. This case study describes the treatment of liver cirrhosis through dietary interventions. A 48-year-old male presented at Doctor Soliman Fakeeh Hospital in Saudi Arabia, Jeddah. The patient was suffering from morbid obesity (BMI= 43.76 kg/m2), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, and chronic hepatitis B viral infection. Sleeve gastrectomy surgery was not possible due to the patient having liver fibrosis (stage 4). Alternatively, he was offered a healthy lifestyle intervention involving advisement regarding dietary habits and the initiation of a regular exercise routine. FibroScan was repeated seven months after the dietary intervention, where it was observed that the liver fibrosis improved from stage 4 to stage 3 post-treatment. Additionally, the patient lost almost 29% of his original body weight. In this case, weight management through following a healthy, balanced diet and increasing physical activity for one year produced remarkable improvement in the patient's liver cirrhosis related to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.