The most vivid cases are clinical, and the most practical health advice comes from clinicians. Zhejiang Medical College has specially set up a column of "Doctors Have Something to Say", inviting clinicians from various hospitals and departments in Zhejiang Province to write articles in person to interpret the current health hotspots, carry out health science popularization according to the typical cases received by the clinic recently, and remind the patients found in the outpatient clinic to remind them of the misunderstandings in the first or health preservation, as well as the doctors' thinking, views, and research on a certain disease.
Yanfei Chen, Deputy Chief Physician, Department of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine
Exercise can strengthen the body, prevent disease, relieve stress and improve quality of life. However, many people with chronic liver disease have concerns about exercising, feeling that they can't and dare not exercise. On the one hand, physical fatigue limits the patient's ability to exercise.
Indeed, fatigue is a common symptom of many chronic liver diseases, particularly in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), and the mechanism may be related to the autoantibody response to anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMAs) mediating mitochondrial dysfunction, causing muscle acidosis, resulting in a significantly longer recovery time of muscle pH after exercise. On the other hand, doctors with traditional concepts require patients with liver disease to rest more and reduce the amount of exercise.
But in reality, proper exercise and physical exertion are beneficial for patients with chronic liver disease. More and more studies have shown that exercise is an important adjunct to various chronic liver diseases**, which can improve the quality of life and disease prognosis of patients.
Why Exercise?
For people with chronic liver disease, exercise has the following potential benefits:
1.Prevention of liver fibrosis – Exercise can help prevent risk factors for liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, such as fatty liver, elevated blood sugar, diabetes, and blood insulin resistance. Studies have shown that regular exercise can reduce the incidence of obesity and reduce the incidence of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in people with hepatitis C.
2 Improve hepatic encephalopathy and portal hypertension – High blood ammonia is the main cause of hepatic encephalopathy, exercise can strengthen skeletal muscle, and skeletal muscle can help clear blood ammonia. At the same time, studies have also found that exercise can reduce portal pressure and reduce the progression of liver cirrhosis.
3.Improved mood – Depression is a common problem in people with chronic liver disease and can also be an adverse effect from medications** such as interferon. Regular exercise can help alleviate feelings of depression by stimulating the release of endorphins and regulating neurotransmitter levels, promoting feelings of well-being and strength.
4.Enhance blood oxygen supply – Regular exercise can improve the efficiency of the cardiovascular system, enhance the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, and deliver more oxygen to the liver, thereby improving liver function.
5.Reduces muscle wasting – Strength training helps with muscle growth and maintenance, which can prevent or delay severe muscle wasting in advanced liver disease**. Improves bone metabolism – Osteodystrophy is one of the common complications of chronic liver disease, especially cholestatic liver disease. Exercise can prevent bone loss, increase bone strength, and prevent osteoporosis.
6.Reduces the risk of falls – Falls are especially dangerous for people with cirrhosis because injuries after falls are often difficult to recover from, and exercise can help build strength, which can reduce the occurrence of falls.
Which type of exercise to choose?
Both aerobic exercise and strength training are good for the liver. Aerobic exercise such as walking, cycling, jogging, and swimming can improve the cardiovascular system's ability to oxygenate blood and deliver it to the liver and other parts of the body. Strength training such as machine training, yoga, etc. helps to maintain bone mass, increase muscle strength and mass, and help prevent weight gain by boosting metabolism.
How do I get started?First: Start low and take your time. If you have severe liver disease or have not exercised for a long time, you can start with walking or low-intensity strength training such as push-ups against the wall, bottled water weights, etc., and exercise three times a week. Each workout session can include 10 to 20 minutes of aerobic exercise and some weight-bearing exercises. Gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts until you exercise five or more times a week.
Second: Seek professional guidance. Ask an experienced fitness professional to help you develop a plan to safely start regaining strength and fitness, and gradually increase your exercise as you recover.
Third: Stick to it. When you first start exercising, progress can be slow and painful. But even the state of the organism that is plagued by chronic diseases can be changed with continuous exercise. Often, after a month, two months, and three months, you will feel stronger, healthier, and more positive about your life overall.
What else should I pay attention to?
The most important thing is to follow the rhythm of your body, start within your ability, and gradually increase the intensity to avoid exercising too much. It should also be used in conjunction with other healthy lifestyles such as eating fresh food, healthy cooking, and avoiding alcohol, sugar, and any unnecessary supplements and medications. Ensure adequate hydration and sleep every day to maximize the benefits of exercise and improve the body's metabolic function.
Welcome to join the "Liver Disease - Zhejiang Medical ** Patient Association".
If you or your family and friends are troubled by liver disease, welcome to join the "Liver Disease - Zhejiang Medical Patient Association"** exchange. How do I join a group?Scan the code to add Zhejiang Medicine** Little Assistant No. 6 (WeChat name: kbzyzx06) as a friend, note "liver disease", and the little assistant will invite you**.