9 risks factors for liver disease -- besides alcohol

Our liver has the important role of acting as our body's filtration system, and while many of us have joked around that drinking too much is slowly ruining our organ, there are several other factors that can also do serious damage.

According to the Canadian Liver Foundation (CLF), something like liver disease is often associated with drugs and alcohol, but in fact, liver disease (which has over 100 known forms) can be caused by several factors that can affect infants, adults and older adults.

Below, the foundation has listed nine risk factors (not including alcohol) that can cause liver disease.

1. Obesity

Obesity often leads to fat build-up in our liver, which can cause inflammation — otherwise known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD. Sometimes, NAFLD can progress into a more severe stage and cause additional ongoing liver damage called cirrhosis. If cirrhosis develops, the liver will slowly stop functioning.

2. Genetics

Genetics can play a significant role in your likelihood to develop liver disease. "The genes we inherit from our parents dictate physical characteristics like hair and eye colour but they also determine our susceptibility to certain forms of liver disease," notes experts at the Canadian Liver Foundation (CLF). Several forms of liver disease — including Wilson disease, which leads to a toxic build up of copper, and hemochromatosis, which causes the body to store up excess iron — are the result of inherited gene abnormalities. On top of that, tyrosinemia, Alagille syndrome and galactosemia are examples of inherited liver diseases that can be life-threatening for infants and very young children.

3. Your Immune System

There are certain liver diseases that are the result of the immune system attacking the liver, the foundation adds. "Auto-immune hepatitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis and primary biliary cirrhosis are all linked to the immune system." However, researchers do not yet know what causes the immune system to turn on the liver, or why some people are more susceptible to these diseases than others. Some believe that the trigger could be a combination of genetic and environmental factors, CLF notes.

4. Certain Medications

As the organ is tasked with processing all medications that go into your body, the liver can also get injured due to toxic combinations of medications or an overdose. Acetaminophen (a pain reliever) overdose, for example, is the leading cause of acute liver failure in Canada.

5. Your Tattoo?

This may be rare, but definitely not unheard of: Hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses can be spread via contaminated inks or improperly sterilized tattoo or piercing equipment. Licensed studios, however, should be following strict precautions to make sure their clients are protected.

6. Unprotected Sex

The viruses that cause hepatitis B and C can be transmitted during sex. "The hepatitis B virus is more infectious than HIV and can be spread via infected blood or body fluids. The hepatitis C virus is spread via contact with infected blood," the CLF says.

7. Travel

Hepatitis A can also spread through contaminated food or water, while hepatitis B is transmitted through infected blood or body fluids. "Both viruses can be contracted in Canada or while travelling to countries where these diseases are endemic. There have been a number of public health warnings in Canada related to food handlers in restaurants and grocery stores with hepatitis A, the CFL notes. To keep yourself protected, make sure you get immunized before travelling.

8. Smoking

Besides alcohol, smoking can also cause serious liver damage and the development of liver cancer. One study notes smoking can dramatically increase your risk of getting liver cancer, and one study concluded almost half the cases of liver cancer in their research were associated with smoking, according to the American Cancer Foundation.

9. Some Herbal Remedies

Certain herbal supplements (see partial list below) as well as certain vitamins in high doses have the potential to cause damage to the liver, the CLF says. For example, high doses of vitamins E, K, A and D may be harmful.

The foundation has listed some potential harmful supplements: Artemisia, Comfrey, Hare’s ear, Ma huang, Skullcap, Atractylis gummifera, Crotalaria, Heliotropium, Mistletoe and others. 

Always talk to your doctor before taking any supplements.

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