الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a spectrum of disease ranging from hepatocellular steatosis through steatohepatitis to fibrosis and irreversible cirrhosis. The prevalence of NAFLD has risen rapidly in parallel with the dramatic rise in obesity and diabetes, and is rapidly becoming the most common cause of liver disease in Western countries. Indeed, NAFLD is now recognized to be the aetiology in many cases previously labelled as cryptogenic cirrhosis. NAFLD has a strong association with type 2 diabetes, with steatosis present in 70% of type 2 diabetics screened with ultrasound, and thus it is now recognized to represent the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome. Steatosis also commonly occurs in association with hepatitis C, particularly genotype 3, and has an increased prevalence in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, when it is usually associated with IR. There are as yet few proven therapies available for patients with NASH, and current strategies are directed towards improving aspects of the metabolic syndrome. Ultimately when such measures fail, liver transplantation remains the only option for patients with end-stage cirrhosis. |