Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is now the most common cause of liver disease in the developed world. It is largely caused by obesity and describes a spectrum of disease ranging from:
New Nomenclature:
Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD), Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH), and MASH Cirrhosis
NAFLD is thought to represent the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome and hence insulin resistance is thought to be the key mechanism leading to steatosis.
Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a term used to describe liver changes similar to those seen in alcoholic hepatitis in the absence of a history of alcohol abuse. It is relatively common and thought to affect around 3-4% of the general population. The progression of disease in patients with NASH may be responsible for a proportion of patients previously labelled as cryptogenic cirrhosis.
Associated factors
Features