Fatty liver, NAFLD and Obesity - #obsmuk blog by Dr Dina Mansour
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is accumulation of fat in the liver. NAFLD is part of the metabolic syndrome, characterised by diabetes or pre-diabetes (insulin resistance), affected by overweight or obesity, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia, and is more common in people with these other features. There is a spectrum of disease ranging from just fat in the liver (steatosis) to a more progressive form of the disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) – this is where the fat in the liver is associated with inflammation and liver damage. Over time this can lead to fibrosis or scarring. Progressive fibrosis leads to cirrhosis with all its associated complications -jaundice, ascites, encephalopathy (confusion), varices (mainly in the oesophagus/gullet) and hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer). NAFLD affects approximately 30% of the population, 70% of people affected by type 2 diabetes and over 90% of patients with a BMI of over 30. Steatohepatitis (NASH) i