Evidence suggests that about 35–40% of people with early stage NAFLD experience fibrosis progression,[1][2] which can eventually lead to advanced liver cirrhosis and further complications such as liver cancer and failure, resulting in the need for liver transplantation. Therefore, it’s important to identify risk factors associated with the progression of NAFLD.
Meta-analyses of observational studies report that the strongest predictor of the progression of NAFLD to severe liver disease is the presence of type 2 diabetes.[3][4] Obesity is also associated with an increased risk of developing severe liver disease.[3][4]
References
- ^Singh S, Allen AM, Wang Z, Prokop LJ, Murad MH, Loomba RFibrosis progression in nonalcoholic fatty liver vs nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of paired-biopsy studies.Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol.(2015-Apr)
- ^McPherson S, Hardy T, Henderson E, Burt AD, Day CP, Anstee QMEvidence of NAFLD progression from steatosis to fibrosing-steatohepatitis using paired biopsies: implications for prognosis and clinical management.J Hepatol.(2015-May)
- ^Jarvis H, Craig D, Barker R, Spiers G, Stow D, Anstee QM, Hanratty BMetabolic risk factors and incident advanced liver disease in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): A systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based observational studies.PLoS Med.(2020-04)
- ^Chen J, Song S, Li X, Bian D, Wu XAssociation of metabolic traits with occurrence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease-related hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal cohort studies.Saudi J Gastroenterol.(2022)