Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become one of the most important causes of chronic liver disease in Western countries (1). The increasing prevalence of this liver disease parallels the global epidemics of both obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in many parts of the world (1). NASH is also projected to become the most common indication for liver transplantation in the near future (1). A 2016 meta-analysis of 86 epidemiological studies (including a sample size of nearly 8,500,000 subjects from 22 countries) has estimated that up to a quarter of the world’s adult population [25.2%, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 22.1–28.7%] has NAFLD (2). This liver disease was common throughout the world, but was particularly frequent in South America (31%), the Middle East (32%) and North America (24%), whereas it showed the lowest frequency in Africa (13%) (2).
Is it time for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease screening in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus?
Targher, Giovanni
2020-01-01
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become one of the most important causes of chronic liver disease in Western countries (1). The increasing prevalence of this liver disease parallels the global epidemics of both obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in many parts of the world (1). NASH is also projected to become the most common indication for liver transplantation in the near future (1). A 2016 meta-analysis of 86 epidemiological studies (including a sample size of nearly 8,500,000 subjects from 22 countries) has estimated that up to a quarter of the world’s adult population [25.2%, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 22.1–28.7%] has NAFLD (2). This liver disease was common throughout the world, but was particularly frequent in South America (31%), the Middle East (32%) and North America (24%), whereas it showed the lowest frequency in Africa (13%) (2).
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