- With Mayo Clinic endocrinologist
Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
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Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
Dr. Maria Collazo-Clavell is board certified in internal medicine, endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism. She is a consultant in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism & Nutrition at Mayo Clinic and an assistant professor at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
The Aibonito, Puerto Rico, native has been with Mayo Clinic since 1994.
She is a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American College of Endocrinology, the American Diabetes Association and The Endocrine Society.
Dr. Collazo-Clavell is medical editor for the Web site's diabetes content and the book "Mayo Clinic on Managing Diabetes." Her clinical interests include management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, obesity and nutritional disorders.
Risk factors (1)
- Diabetes: Does alcohol and tobacco use increase my risk?
Symptoms (1)
- The 'dawn phenomenon': What causes it?
Causes (1)
- Diabetes and depression: What's the link?
Complications (2)
- Diabetes: How does it affect my liver?
- Blood sugar and mood: Any connection?
Treatments and drugs (2)
- Diabetes management: Does aspirin therapy prevent heart problems?
- Byetta: Can diabetes drug also help me lose weight?
Lifestyle and home remedies (11)
- Diabetes: Are electric blankets off-limits?
- Vegetarian diet: Can it help me control my diabetes?
- Air pollution and exercise: Is outdoor exercise risky?
- see all in Lifestyle and home remedies
Alternative medicine (1)
- Diabetes treatment: Can cinnamon lower blood sugar?
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Question
Diabetes: How does it affect my liver?
Does diabetes cause liver disease?
Answer
from Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
Diabetes can increase your risk of some types of liver disease. For example, poorly controlled blood sugar increases your risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which can lead to scarring of the liver (nonalcoholic cirrhosis). Other medical conditions related to diabetes — such as high cholesterol and obesity — also increase the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. In addition, some medications used to treat these related conditions, such as cholesterol-lowering drugs, may cause liver damage, although this is rare.
If you have diabetes, your best defense against liver disease is:
- Tight control of blood sugar levels
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Reducing high cholesterol
- Avoiding excessive consumption of alcohol
Your doctor may also recommend regular testing of your liver function if you take medications that could potentially affect your liver. If you have diabetes and are concerned about your risk of liver disease, talk to your doctor.
Next questionBlood sugar and mood: Any connection?
- Tendler DA. Pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 27, 2009.
- Feldstein AE, et al. Fatty liver disease. The American College of Gastroenterology. http://www.gi.org/patients/gihealth/fld.asp. Accessed Aug. 27, 2009.
- Cholesterol-lowering drugs. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=163. Accessed Aug. 27, 2009.
