Many Causes of Fatty Liver

Q:  I was taking the cholesterol-lowering medicine Pravachol for one year. After a blood test, it was discovered I had fat in my liver. I went off the Pravachol for a year and took another blood test and still have fat in my liver. On my previous cholesterol medication, my cholesterol level was at 250, but I never had fat in my liver. Could the Pravachol have caused the fat in my liver, and how can I make my liver healthy again? My doctor doesn't have any answers.

A:  Statins such as Pravachol are cholesterol-lowering medications that work by blocking cholesterol production by your liver. They are especially good for lowering the levels of LDL cholesterol by removing it from your blood when the blood circulates through the liver. The statins can cause muscle aches in about 1% of the people who use them and at high doses they raise the liver enzymes in about 2% of people.

Alcohol abuse is one of the major causes of fatty liver, but obesity, hepatitis C, diabetes and protein malnutrition are other common causes. Although medications such as amiodarone, steroids, estrogen, nifedipine and methotrexate have been reported to cause fatty liver, I don't think the Pravachol caused the fat in your liver. Avoiding alcohol, maintaining a low-fat diet and losing weight will help your liver.

"Dear Doctor" is a compilation of patient questions answered by doctors from the Medical College of Wisconsin.