Natural History and Epidemiology of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Korea.

Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a heterogeneous disease that may range from simple steatosis (non-alcoholic fatty liver, NAFL) to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) which can progress to advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis and is currently one of the most common chronic liver diseases in Korea and worldwide. Furthermore, in parallel with the increasing prevalence of obesity, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, the prevalence of NAFLD is expected to increase. However, data about the incidence, prevalence and natural history of NAFLD are diverse depending on the charcteristics of study population and screening tests - hepatic imaging studies, histology and liver enzymes. Herein, the natural history and epidemiology of NAFLD are shortly reviewed and summarized using many recent articles, esp. Korean data.