Mitochondrial damage and lactic acidosis

April 2001     View PDF     En español

What Is fatty liver?

One of the more serious conditions linked to mitochondrial damage is “fatty liver,” or hepatic steatosis. This build-up of fat around the liver can affect the way it processes fats. Hepatic steatosis often also leads to lactic acidosis, as described earlier.

People who weigh over 70kgs or about 150 pounds—especially women—may be more at risk for developing hepatic steatosis and, as a result, lactic acidosis. It is currently not a part of standard of care to measure lactate levels so this condition may go unnoticed. To further complicate matters, lactate breaks down rapidly when not stored properly, and only certain labs can accurately measure these levels.