Acute Liver Failure

Overview

Your liver is one of your essential organs, one you can’t live without. It performs hundreds of important bodily functions. When your liver fails to keep up with its many jobs, your overall health will fail, too. This is liver failure. It means that your liver is no longer able to function adequately for your body’s needs.

Liver failure is a process, which may be fast or slow. Acute liver failure happens rapidly, within days or weeks. Chronic liver failure, the more common type, happens gradually, over months or years. As your liver begins to lose its functionality, you’ll notice more and more the symptoms of liver failure.

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Symptoms

When to see a doctor

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Complications

Blood clots are a dangerous complication of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Blood clots can lead to stroke.

The risk of stroke from AFib increases as you grow older. Other health conditions also may increase the risk of a stroke due to AFib. These conditions include:

High blood pressure.
Diabetes.
Heart failure.
Some types of heart valve disease.

Blood thinners are commonly prescribed to prevent blood clots and strokes in people with atrial fibrillation.

Prevention

Healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of heart disease and may prevent atrial fibrillation (AFib). Here are some basic heart-healthy tips:

Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Don't smoke or use tobacco.
Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Reduce and manage stress.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

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Diagnosis & treatment

Living with atrial fibrillation?

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