Definition
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one cause of a fatty liver, occurring when fat is deposited (steatosis) in the liver not due to excessive alcohol use. It is related to insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome and may respond to treatments originally developed for other insulin-resistant states (e.g. diabetes mellitus type 2) such as weight loss, metformin and thiazolidinediones. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the most extreme form of NAFLD this being regarded as a major cause of cirrhosis of the liver of unknown cause.
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Causes
Tratment
References
- Adams LA, Angulo P (2006). “Treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease”. Postgrad Med J 82 (967): 315–22.
- Clark JM, Diehl AM (2003). “Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: an underrecognized cause of cryptogenic cirrhosis”. JAMA 289 (22): 3000–4.