Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common chronic liver disease in Europe and in the USA with rising prevalence. Patients with a metabolic syndrome (diabetes mellitus, obesity, dyslipidemia) are patients at risk with the highest prevalence for NAFLD. Progression from a non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) to a non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) occurs in 5-20% of patients with the potential to develop a liver fibrosis/cirrhosis. NASH patients and NAFLD patients with higher fibrosis should be identified because they are at risk of a higher mortality. A specific treatment for NASH is not available at the moment. Therefore, the treatment of risk factors and metabolic syndrome has high priority. © 2014 Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart, New York.