TY - JOUR
T1 - Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
T2 - A real threat in Pakistan
AU - Abbas, Zaigham
AU - Zaheer, Ramsha
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Pakistan Medical Association. All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/12
Y1 - 2020/12
N2 - The rise in obesity, along with its association with unhealthy lifestyles and poor health awareness, has lead to an increasing prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Only a few studies have addressed the changing trends in obesity and have tried to estimate the frequency of NAFLD in Pakistan. Fatty liver is seen in about 15% of the general population. Insulin resistance, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, high body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, and increasing age are associated with NAFLD. In patients without insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia is usually present. Lean NAFLD is not common. In facilities where elastography in unavailable, NAFLD fibrosis score may be used to predict NAFLD in such patients. There is a need to conduct population-based studies to understand the risks and to design initiatives to increase public awareness regarding this disease. NAFLD screening is advisable in overweight individuals, diabetic patients, and persons at high cardiovascular disease risk.
AB - The rise in obesity, along with its association with unhealthy lifestyles and poor health awareness, has lead to an increasing prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Only a few studies have addressed the changing trends in obesity and have tried to estimate the frequency of NAFLD in Pakistan. Fatty liver is seen in about 15% of the general population. Insulin resistance, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, high body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, and increasing age are associated with NAFLD. In patients without insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia is usually present. Lean NAFLD is not common. In facilities where elastography in unavailable, NAFLD fibrosis score may be used to predict NAFLD in such patients. There is a need to conduct population-based studies to understand the risks and to design initiatives to increase public awareness regarding this disease. NAFLD screening is advisable in overweight individuals, diabetic patients, and persons at high cardiovascular disease risk.
KW - Diabetes
KW - Insulin resistance
KW - Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
KW - Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis
KW - Obesity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85100328355&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.5455/JPMA.95891
DO - 10.5455/JPMA.95891
M3 - Review article
C2 - 33475559
AN - SCOPUS:85100328355
SN - 0030-9982
VL - 70
SP - 2437
EP - 2440
JO - Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association
JF - Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association
IS - 12 B
ER -