PanNASH covers commented articles ans publications to acquire sufficient information, understanding, and skills to cope with NASH/NAFLD healthcare demands.
A 2022 study by Ajmera and colleagues examined the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), advanced fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in older patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). The strong association between T2D, NAFLD, and its progressive form non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has been extensively underscored by recent literature.
The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in China has increased by 60% between 2000 and 2018. This trend is expected to intensify during the next decade. Chinese young adults (CYA) will thus be disproportionately burdened by NAFLD and its potential progression into hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
The circadian clock controls rhythms responsible for regulating bodily functions, e.g., appropriate eating times. When this clock becomes disrupted due to factors such as irregular daily eating patterns or weekly schedules, it instead promotes lipid dysregulation, oxidative stress, and inflammation.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most sensitive and specific non-invasive tool (NIT) for the evaluation and quantification of hepatic steatosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, it remains a relatively expensive tool, and is not routinely used in clinical practice.
The circadian clock controls rhythms responsible for regulating bodily functions, e.g., appropriate eating times. When this clock becomes disrupted due to factors such as irregular daily eating patterns or weekly schedules, it instead promotes lipid dysregulation, oxidative stress, and inflammation.
Recent reviews have highlighted the existence of an association between microRNAs (miRNAs) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). miRNAs have been linked to cholesterol metabolism, which is significantly dysregulated in NAFLD and leads to hepatic free cholesterol accumulation.
Several recent studies have suggested the existence of a relationship between sex-based differences, liver injury, and cell survival in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). B cell lymphoma 6 (Bcl6), a nuclear transcription factor responsible for the regulation of sex-biased functional gene expression in the liver, has been linked to NASH.
Strong clinical evidence exists to support the existence of an association between mental illness and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It is known that NAFLD is highly comorbid with psychiatric illness, and patients with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia possess increased prevalence of metabolic liver disease.
There is little awareness among cardiologists regarding the contribution of fatty liver to cardiovascular (CVD) risk. Debates surrounding the importance of screening for fatty liver disease compared to other recognized cardiometabolic risk factors are ongoing.
Currently, the most effective treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is diet and exercise. Weight loss of 5% achieved through lifestyle interventions has been associated with the reversal of steatosis, and a 10% weight reduction has been linked to the reversal of fibrosis. Physical activity (PA) has been hypothesised to reduce the accumulation of intrahepatic triglycerides contributing to NAFLD progression.
Lipid droplets (LDs) are lipid-rich and dynamic organelles which undergo cycles of biogenesis (triacylglycerol synthesis, as well as LD growth, budding, and expansion) and degradation (lipophagy). Many studies have highlighted the causative role of abnormal LD accumulation in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Furthermore, while the positive impact of physical activity on NAFLD has been widely studied, its effect on LD dynamics remains unclarified.
Research in recent years has documented the rise of quantitative ultrasound-based examinations (qnUS) for the assessment of liver steatosis. qnUS of interest include continuous attenuation parameters (CAP), backscatter coefficients, and ultrasound envelope statistic parametric imaging. Despite the clear financial and patient-centric benefits of such non-invasive tools, their reliability in defining both the presence and degree of liver steatosis remains unclear.