Can stress cause elevated liver enzymes?
The impact of heart function on stress and sudden stress is experienced in almost everyone. But can stress also affect liver function?
How does the liver react to stress?
Then the doctors of our specialized group will answer the above questions
The effect of stress on the liver
Acute stress can lead to changes in liver function
Studies also show that long-term exposure to anxiety disorders and depression increases the risk of death from liver disease and disorders.
Under the influence of prolonged stress, the liver malfunctions and cannot perform its functions properly. For example, the liver in stress will not be able to properly perform blood purification and detoxification, Therefore, brain cells and the whole body are deprived of access to blood without waste products
This deprivation is accompanied by a decrease in the function of brain cells, drowsiness and loss of consciousness, and the person suffers from general fatigue and boredom.
There is a biological relationship between psychological stress and distress and the risk of liver disease, but how to describe these relationships is not yet fully understood and requires further investigation.
The effect of stress on metabolism
Following stress, the body's metabolism changes:
- The effect of stress on fat metabolism
Following the continuation of stress, blood fatty acids rise. These are the precursors of triglycerides in the liver, so the production of triglycerides by the liver is increased and this leads to the accumulation of this fat in the liver, which is called fatty liver.
Fatty liver can lead to liver failure or liver sinusitis and eventually liver cancer.
In a person with fatty liver, liver enzymes change
The most common changes in liver enzymes during fatty liver disease:
- Elevated levels of ALT and AST enzymes are four greater than times normal.
- The rate of increase in AST will usually be up to five times greater than the rate of increase in ALT
It has been shown that in the presence of fatty liver, hepatic alkaline phosphatase and liver enzyme GGT are also increased.
Alcoholic liver
An important point is that the consumption of alcohol in people with anxiety disorders or depression is higher, the consumption of alcoholic beverages will constantly put people at risk for alcoholism; People with liver damage due to alcohol undergo enzymatic changes:
- Increased blood levels of liver enzymes are observed.
- The blood level of liver AST enzyme is more than twice the blood level of liver ALT enzyme
- Elevated blood levels of GGT are also seen in people who are regular alcohol users
What effect do acute stresses have on liver enzymes?
Acute stress can alter normal liver function
The effects of acute stress on liver function include:
- Changes in fat metabolism
- Increased blood levels of enzymes:
LDL-c
And
GLB
- Reduce blood levels of HDL or beneficial fats
Acute stress can inhibit the reverse cholesterol transporter gene
Stress increases the rate of eating fatty foods A person with stress becomes overweight and obese
We said that if stress persists, non-alcoholic fatty liver will form, which will be associated with other disorders such as cardiovascular disease, as well as diabetes and insulin resistance.
Gallbladder inflammation or bile duct obstruction can occur in people with high stress
The following enzymatic changes are seen in people with bile duct obstruction:
- Increased blood levels of alkaline phosphatase
- Increased blood levels of liver enzyme GGT
Stress and inflammation of the pancreas
We remind that the incidence of pancreatitis due to excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages in people with psychological disorders is much higher than people without stress, anxiety and depression.
The final words:
Finally, it is necessary to mention a ten-year study of one hundred and sixty-five thousand people suffering from psychological stress.
People who died during the researchers' ten-year follow-up also had symptoms of depression, anxiety and deadly liver disease.
There is a strong connection between mind and physical health, and the destructive effects of mental stress on a person's health are undeniable, and the liver will undergo many changes during periods of depression and mental stress.