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'''Editor in Chief''': Elliot Tapper, M.D., Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
{{Non alcoholic fatty liver disease}}
{{CMG}}; {{AE}} {{VKG}}


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{{See also|Fatty liver}}


==Overview==
'''For the patient information page on this topic, click [[non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (patient information)|here]].'''
{{DiseaseDisorder infobox |
  Name        = Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis |
  Image          = |
  Caption        = |
  DiseasesDB    = 29786|
  ICD10          = {{ICD10|K|76|0|k|70}} |
  ICD9          = {{ICD9|571.8}} |
  ICDO          = |
  OMIM          = |
  MedlinePlus    = |
  eMedicineSubj  = med |
  eMedicineTopic = 775 |
}}
{{SI}}
'''Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease''' ('''[[NAFLD]]''') is a spectrum of [[liver]] disease in the absence of excessive [[alcoholism|alcohol]] use that begins with fatty infiltration and can proceed to inflammation - '''[[Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis]]''' ([[NASH]]) - and even cirrhosis.  At present, estimates are that between 30- 90 million Americans have some degree of NAFLD and 5-6% have NASH. <ref name=McCullough> McCullough, AJ. Thiazolidinediones for NASH. NEJM 2006;355(22):2361-2363.</ref> 


NAFLD/NASH was first described in 1980 in a series of patients of the [[Mayo Clinic]]<ref>Ludwig J, Viggiano TR, McGill DB, Oh BJ. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: Mayo Clinic experiences with a hitherto unnamed disease. Mayo Clin Proc. 1980;55:434-438. PMID 7382552.</ref>. Since that seminal description, our understanding of NAFLD/NASH has progressed minimally. <ref>Day, CP. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH): where are we now and where are we going? Gut. 2002 May; 50(5): 585–588.</ref> The disease is most closely associated with the increasing obesity, insulin resistance, type two diabetes mellitus and hyperlipedmia endemic to the developed world. Roughly half of all patients with NASH, however, do not meet criteria for metabolic syndrome <ref>Farrell GC, Larter CZ. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: from steatosis to cirrhosis. Hepatology. 2006;43:S99–S112.</ref>.
{{SK}} NASH, NAFLD, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)


==Prevalence==
==[[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease overview|Overview]]==
Estimates are that between 30- 90 million Americans have some degree of NAFLD and 5-6% have NASH. <ref name=McCullough> McCullough, AJ. Thiazolidinediones for NASH. NEJM 2006;355(22):2361-2363.</ref> Some have suggested a genetic or sociocultural component to NAFLD spectrum disease.<ref name=Caldwell>Caldwell et al. Has natural selection in human populations produced two types of metabolic syndrome (with and without fatty liver). J of Gastroenterology and Hepatology 2007;22(S1):S11-S19</ref> As a part of the Dallas Heart Study,<ref name=Browning>Browning et al. Prevalence of Hepatic Steatosis in an Urban Population in the United States: Impact of Ethnicity. Hepatology 2004;40:1387-1395.</ref> 2,240 patients - 1105 african-americans, 401 hispanics and 734 caucasians - received abdominal MRI's from which we can infer the presence of steatosis. Hepatic steatosis was found in 45% of hispanics (both men and women), 33% of caucasians (42% of men, 24% of women) and 24% of african-american (23% of men, 24% of women). This pattern may hold true in children as well. In a San Diego study of 742 consecutive autopsies of children victims of trauma over 10 years, fatty liver was found in 9.6% of all children, 38% of the obese, 12% of hispanics, 10% of asians, 8.6% of caucasians and 1.5% of african-americans.<ref name=Schwimmer>Schwimmer et al. Prevalence of fatty liver in children and adolescents. Pediatrics 2006;118;1388-93.</ref> 


==Signs and symptoms==
==[[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease historical perspective|Historical Perspective]]==
===Symptoms and associations===


Most patients with NAFLD have no or few symptoms. Infrequently patients may complain of fatigue, [[malaise]] and dull right upper quadrant [[abdominal pain|abdominal discomfort]]. Mild [[jaundice]] can rarely be noticed. More commonly it is diagnosed as a result of abnormal [[liver function tests]] during routine blood tests. Often following an asymptomatic course, the disease may present first with cirrhosis and/or the complication of portal hypertension. In that respect, NASH is becoming an increasingly common indication for liver transplantation. <ref name=Choudhury>Choudhury J, Sanyal A. Clinical Aspects of Fatty Liver Disease. Semin Liver Dis 2004; 24: 349-362.</ref> As awareness of this condition spreads, it has been regarded as a major cause of cryptogenic [[cirrhosis]] of the liver.<ref name=Clark>Clark JM, Diehl AM. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: an underrecognized cause of cryptogenic cirrhosis. ''JAMA'' 2003;289:3000-4. PMID 12799409.</ref> The diagnosis of cryptogenic cirrhosis is usually made in patients with similar clinical characteristics to those with NAFLD spectrum disease. Cryptogenic cirrhotics tend to be women, aged 63 (+/- 11) years who are obese and type 2 diabetics. <ref name=Caldwell>Caldwell SH, Oelsner DH, Iezzoni JC. Cryptogenic Cirrhosis: Clinical Characterization and Risk Factor for Underlying Disease. Hepatology 1999;29(3);664-69</ref>. Moreover, there are case reports of patients with NASH who received serial liver biopsies where there was a progression to cirrhosis with a dissapearance of the histologcal stigmatia of NASH. Without the index biopsy, these patients' cirrhosis would have been classified as cryptogenic.<ref>Yoshioka Y, Hashimoto E, Yatsuji S. “NASH: cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and burnt-out NASH.” J Gastroenterol 2004;39;1215-1218</ref><ref name=Caldwell>
==[[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease classification|Classification]]==


===Secondary causes===
==[[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease pathophysiology|Pathophysiology]]==
NAFLD can also be caused by the following medications (termed ''secondary'' NAFLD):
* [[Amiodarone]]
* [[Antiviral drug]]s ([[nucleoside analogues]])
* [[Aspirin]] / [[NSAID]]S
* [[Corticosteroid]]s
* [[Methotrexate]]
* [[Nifedipine]]
* [[Perhexiline]]
* [[Tamoxifen]]
* [[Tetracycline]]
* [[Valproic acid]]


==Diagnosis==
==[[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease causes|Causes]]==
Disturbed [[liver enzyme]]s are common. Typically, one finds a 2-4 fold elevation of the ALT above normal limit and an AST/ALT ratio of less than 1. Another blood test that can be elevated is the ferritin. Typically, and except in very advanced disease, the liver's synthetic function is intact with normal albumin and INR. Imaging is often ordered in the workup of suspected NAFLD. Ultrasound has sensitivities approaching 100%, but a 62% positive predictive value. Problematically, ultrasound of fatty liver reveals a hyperechoic echotexture - a so-called 'bright liver' - that can often be indistinguishable from fibrosis.  Computed tomography is reported to be 93% sensitive with a 76% positive predictive value.  A [[biopsy]] of the [[liver]] is considered the gold standard in diagnosis. Classically, biopsy reveals macrovesicular steatosis, inflammation, ballooning degeneration, zone 3 perivenular/periportal/perisinusoidal fibrosis and, finally, mallory bodies.<ref name=Chaudhury/> <ref name=Angula>Angula P. Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. NEJM. 2002 346(16):1221-31</ref><ref name=Brunt>Brunt EM, Janney CG, Di Bisceglie AM et al. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: A proposal for grading and staging the histological lesions. Am. J. Gastroenterol. 1999; 94(9):2467-2474</ref>
 
==[[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease differential diagnosis|Differentiating Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease from other Diseases]]==
 
==[[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease epidemiology and demographics|Epidemiology and Demographics]]==


==[[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease risk factors|Risk Factors]]==


When considering NAFLD, other tests generally performed, including those for associated conditions (e.g. glucose, hemoglobin A1C) and those to distinguish this disease from viral [[hepatitis]]. Additionally, autoimmune causes are ruled out with serology. [[Thyroid-stimulating hormone|TSH]] is warranted, as [[hypothyroidism]] is more prevalent in NASH patients.<ref>Liangpunsakul S, Chalasani N. Is hypothyroidism a risk factor for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis? ''J Clin Gastroenterol'' 2003;37:340-3. PMID 14506393</ref>
==[[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease screening|Screening]]==


==Pathophysiology==
==[[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease natural history, complications and prognosis|Natural History, Complications, and Prognosis]]==
NAFLD is considered a spectrum of disease activity. This spectrum begins as fatty accumulation in the liver (hepatic [[steatosis]]). A fatty liver can remain without disturbing the function of the liver, but by varying mechanisms and possible insults to the liver, may progress to outright [[inflammation]] of the liver.  When inflammation occurs in this setting, the condition is then called NASH. Over time, up to 20 percent of patients with NASH may develop [[cirrhosis]].


The exact cause is still ''unknown''. However both [[obesity]] and [[insulin resistance]] likely play a strong role in this disease process. The exact reasons and mechanisms by which this disease progresses from one entity to the next is a subject of much research and debate.
==Diagnosis==
One such debated mechanisim proposes a "second hit", or further injury, enough to cause change that leads from hepatic steatosis to  [[hepatic]] inflammation. [[Oxidative stress]], hormonal imbalances and [[Mitochondrion|mitochondrial]] abnormalities may be potential causes for this  "second hit" phenomenon.<ref name=Adams/>
[[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease history and symptoms|History and Symptoms]] | [[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease physical examination|Physical Examination]] | [[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease laboratory findings|Laboratory Findings]] | [[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease electrocardiogram|Electrocardiogram]] | [[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease x ray|X Ray]] | [[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease CT|CT]] | [[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease MRI|MRI]] | [[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease ultrasound|Ultrasound]] | [[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease other imaging findings|Other Imaging Findings]] | [[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease other diagnostic studies|Other Diagnostic Studies]] | [[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease Noninvasive scores| Noninvasive scores]]


==Treatment==
==Treatment==
Trials are presently being conducted to optimise treatment of NASH. No standard treatment has yet emerged as the "gold standard". General recommendations include improving metabolic risk factors and reducing alcohol intake.<ref name=Adams/>
[[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease medical therapy|Medical Therapy]] | [[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease surgery|Surgery]] | [[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease primary prevention|Primary Prevention]] | [[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease secondary prevention|Secondary Prevention]] | [[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease cost-effectiveness of therapy|Cost-Effectiveness of Therapy]] | [[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease future or investigational therapies|Future or Investigational Therapies]]


A large number of treatments have been studied for NAFLD. While many may improve biochemical markers, such as [[alanine transaminase]] levels, most have not been shown to reverse the histological abnormalities or reduce clinical endpoints:<ref name=Adams/>
==Case Studies==
* Weight loss: gradual weight loss, and possibly [[bariatric surgery]], may improve the process in obese patients.
* Insulin sensitisers ([[metformin]] and [[rosiglitazone]] but more markedly [[pioglitazone]]) have shown efficacy in some studies.
* [[Antioxidants]] and [[Ursodiol|ursodeoxycholic acid]], as well as lipid-lowering drugs, have little benefit.


[[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease case study one|Case #1]]


== References ==
==External Links==
<references/>
* [http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/nash/ NIH] page on Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis


==External links==
* [http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/458509_1 Medscape] article on NASH.
* [http://www.medicinenet.com/fatty_liver/article.htm MEDICINENET] article on Steatosis.
* [http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/nash/ NIH] page on Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis


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[[Category:Gastroenterology]]
[[Category:Gastroenterology]]
[[Category:Hepatitis]]
[[Category:Hepatology]]
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Latest revision as of 15:59, 27 January 2024

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Vamsikrishna Gunnam M.B.B.S [2]

For the patient information page on this topic, click here.

Synonyms and keywords: NASH, NAFLD, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)

Overview

Historical Perspective

Classification

Pathophysiology

Causes

Differentiating Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease from other Diseases

Epidemiology and Demographics

Risk Factors

Screening

Natural History, Complications, and Prognosis

Diagnosis

History and Symptoms | Physical Examination | Laboratory Findings | Electrocardiogram | X Ray | CT | MRI | Ultrasound | Other Imaging Findings | Other Diagnostic Studies | Noninvasive scores

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Medical Therapy | Surgery | Primary Prevention | Secondary Prevention | Cost-Effectiveness of Therapy | Future or Investigational Therapies

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Case #1

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