According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), liver disease affects up to 70% of people with type 2 diabetes. Understanding the connection between the two is essential for protecting your liver and utilizing reliable diabetes supplies to help manage blood sugar levels. Here, we'll cover some general information on the relationship between diabetes and liver function, along with how to take simple steps to stay healthy.
In this article, you’ll learn:
- How diabetes affects liver health, including the role of insulin resistance and how high blood sugar can lead to fat buildup, inflammation, and liver damage.
- Why the liver and pancreas are closely connected and how disruptions in one can worsen the other’s function.
- Whether people with type 1 diabetes are at risk for liver disease, and how conditions like glycogenic hepatopathy or autoimmune liver issues can occur.
- Common liver problems linked to diabetes, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), liver fibrosis, and cirrhosis.
- Early warning signs of liver damage, including fatigue, abdominal pain, jaundice, and unexplained weight changes.
- Practical tips for protecting liver health such as following a balanced diet, exercising regularly, managing medications carefully, and limiting alcohol.
- When to see your doctor and how often to get liver screenings if you have diabetes or other risk factors.
- How diabetes management supports liver protection and how reliable diabetes supplies can help you stay consistent with care and monitoring.
Understanding the Connection Between Diabetes and Liver Health
Diabetes significantly affects the liver, as it’s closely tied to how the body regulates and stores energy. Specifically, the liver helps manage blood sugar levels by storing glucose as glycogen and releasing it when needed, and the pancreas releases insulin to lower glucose levels when they get too high. In people with diabetes, especially prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance disrupts the normal process. When the body’s cells don’t respond appropriately to insulin, the liver continues to release glucose even when blood sugar levels are already high, which can worsen hyperglycemia and place additional strain on the liver.
Over time, excess glucose and insulin in the bloodstream can cause the liver to convert sugar into fat, leading to fat accumulation within liver cells. This buildup of fat triggers inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell injury, which can progress to more serious complications such as liver fibrosis or cirrhosis. Chronic high blood sugar also increases the production of free radicals and inflammatory molecules that further damage liver tissue.
In addition, liver damage can make it harder for the body to regulate blood sugar, creating a cycle where each condition worsens the other. Some diabetes medications are also processed through the liver, so ongoing liver stress may affect how well these drugs work.
Do People With Type 1 Diabetes Have a Risk of Liver Disease?
Yes, people with type 1 diabetes can develop liver problems, though the risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is lower than in type 2 diabetes. Still, individuals with type 1 diabetes may experience glycogenic hepatopathy, where excess glycogen builds up in the liver due to fluctuating blood sugar and insulin levels, and have a higher risk of autoimmune liver conditions.
Common Liver Problems in People With Diabetes
Living with diabetes doesn't mean that you'll inevitably have liver problems, but it does significantly increase your risk. Some of the most common challenges that occur include the following.
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NAFLD and NASH)
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, also commonly known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is a condition where excess fat builds up in the liver due to reasons unrelated to alcohol consumption. It's one of the most common liver disorders, especially among individuals with type 2 diabetes, obesity, or metabolic syndrome.
It's normal for the liver to store a small amount of fat, but NAFLD occurs when more than 5% to 10% of the liver's weight comes from fat. In individuals with type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance plays a key role in this. In these instances, cells in the body, including adipose tissue (fat), become less responsive to insulin, meaning that less glucose is absorbed. This can result in high blood sugar levels.
Insulin inefficiency can also increase the amount of free fatty acids released from the tissues. These fatty acids are then converted into triglycerides and stored in the liver, further contributing to NAFLD. High cholesterol and high blood pressure also put you at a high risk for NAFLD, so it's important to work with your doctor to determine the best approach for proactive health care. In some cases, where lifestyle changes are made and sustained, NAFLD can sometimes be reversible.
In advanced instances, NAFLD can lead to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is more serious and often progressive. Over time, NASH can cause inflammation and damage to liver cells, impairing the liver’s ability to function properly. It can also increase the risk of swelling or scarring (cirrhosis), liver cancer, heart disease, and kidney disease.
Liver Fibrosis and Cirrhosis
The onset of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is typically the first step in complications that can lead to more serious conditions or liver failure. If non-alcoholic steatohepatitis progresses, it can result in liver fibrosis, scarring of the liver.
This happens when liver cells are injured and repaired repeatedly over time, resulting in a buildup of scar tissue. Eventually, this scar tissue can start to disrupt blood flow and overall liver function. Fibrosis is used to describe the early or moderate stages of scarring and may be reversible. Cirrhosis is the term that's used when the scarring is severe and widespread, often distorting the liver structure and function. Cirrhosis is permanent, although progression may be slowed with interventions.
If the liver becomes too damaged to function properly, it reaches what’s known as end-stage liver disease. At this point, the only effective treatment may be a liver transplant.
What Are Some Early Signs of Liver Damage?
Although early forms of liver disease may not have noticeable symptoms, it's still important to stay vigilant. If you experience any of the following, it's best to see your doctor:
- Fatigue or low energy
- Abdominal discomfort or pain, especially in the upper right side of the abdomen
- Unexplained nausea or loss of appetite
- Bloating or a feeling of fullness in the abdomen
- Mild jaundice
- Dark urine or pale, clay-colored stools
- Itchy skin without a clear cause
- Unexplained weight loss or gain
- Swelling in the legs or ankles
- Easy bruising or bleeding due to reduced clotting function
- Confusion or difficulty concentrating
Tips for Managing and Protecting Liver Health
Taking care of your liver is an integral part of managing diabetes and maintaining overall wellness. Since both conditions are closely linked through metabolism, even small lifestyle changes can have a significant impact. Here are some practical ways to protect both your liver and your blood sugar levels.
Follow a Liver-Friendly, Blood Sugar-Balanced Diet
A healthy diet is one of the most effective tools for supporting liver function and blood sugar control. Focus on eating whole, nutrient-dense foods such as whole grains, leafy green vegetables, lean proteins, legumes, and healthy fats like those found in fish, nuts, and olive oil. These foods promote steady blood sugar levels while helping the liver process fats and toxins efficiently.
You should also try to limit added sugars, saturated fats, refined carbohydrates, and highly processed foods, as they can contribute to fat buildup in the liver and worsen insulin resistance. If you need help creating a diet that works for you, ask your doctor for recommendations for a registered dietitian who specializes in both diabetes care and liver health.
Maintain a Healthy Weight and Exercise Regularly
Even modest weight loss (around 5% to 10% of body weight) can significantly reduce fat in the liver and improve insulin sensitivity. Regular physical activity has several benefits and can even promote healthy circulation to the liver. A combination of aerobic exercise, such as walking, swimming, or cycling, provides the best results, but strength training is also essential. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week, along with muscle-strengthening exercises twice a week.
Manage Medications Wisely
Some diabetes medications are processed by the liver, so regular monitoring is vital to ensure they’re working safely. Therefore, your healthcare provider may periodically check your liver enzymes through blood tests to assess how your liver is functioning. You should also never start any new supplement or herbal product without first consulting with your doctor, as some may have dangerous interactions that can increase liver strain.
Limit Alcohol and Stay Hydrated
Alcohol can accelerate liver damage and make blood sugar levels more difficult to control, so it’s best to limit or avoid it, particularly if you already have fatty liver disease or elevated liver enzymes. On the contrary, staying well-hydrated supports the liver’s natural detoxification processes and helps stabilize blood sugar throughout the day. Aim for plenty of water and try to limit sugary beverages as much as possible.
When to See a Doctor
Catching liver disease early is essential, as a lack of intervention can lead to liver failure. Research from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases found that, among people with NAFLD and type 2 diabetes, about half have NASH, and about one-third of those with fat in the liver had significant liver fibrosis. Therefore, if you have risk factors, it's important to see your doctor and get regular screenings for liver health every six months, or once a year for those without risk factors. This can help you catch issues early on and help prevent further damage.
Remember, diabetes management is also a key tool to help reduce your risk of problems like liver cirrhosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver. To help you optimize your at-home care, Byram Healthcare carries a vast number of high-quality diabetes products that can be conveniently shipped to your home. To learn more, contact Byram’s Diabetes Helpline: 1-877-902-9726, ext. 43397, today.
