NAFLD and 'the silent liver disease': no longer primarily affecting postmenopausal obese women

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) - is an accumulation of fat in the liver. This accumulation of fat can lead to inflammation and liver damage, referred to as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, (NASH) - the "silent liver disease".

Some of the previous research on the treatment of NAFLD focused on postmenopausal obese women, thought to be the primary group to develop the condition. Research published in Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, point to the experts who now believe that NAFLD "may currently affect 20% to 40% of individuals in industrialized Western countries". NASH most often occurs in persons who are middle-aged and overweight or obese. However NASH can occur in non obese adults and children.

NAFLD resembles alcoholic liver disease but occurs in people who do not drink or who drink very little. NASH is referred to as the “silent” liver disease because there are often no symptoms initially. However once the disease advances – this could take decades - the person with NASH will begin to experience weakness, fatigue and unexplained weight loss. Cirrhosis can eventually develop which can lead to hepatocellular carcinoma and liver failure. Hepatitis C and alcoholic liver disease are the leading causes of cirrhosis, followed by NASH.

NAFLD is associated with obesity and is increasingly more common in the US as the rate of obesity increases. One source, states that “approximately 70 percent of (diabetics) have some form of NAFLD, and that approximately 5 to 20 percent of people with diabetes have cirrhosis due to NASH”. According to a review in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, “an estimated 60-90% of individuals with type 2 diabetes are obese”. Elevated cholesterol, also associated with obesity, can lead to additional complications for someone with NASH.

A liver biopsy is the only way currently to diagnose either condition.

For additional information: The above re-cap is, in part, from an article published on National Digestive Disease Information network. Read the entire article - Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis -- click here.

The NASH network researches the nature and underlying cause of NASH and conducts clinical studies on prevention and treatment. More information on the NASH Clinical Research Network and the locations of the clinical centers are available at www.jhucct.com/nash/.

The Clinical Research Network in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) is sponsored by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).