Commentary
Morbidity related to NAFLD and resulting NASH is likely to increase dramatically in the coming decades, especially in the Gulf countries, where there is already an epidemic of obesity and diabetes melittus.
In their article, K. Alswat et al. (Liver Disease Research Center, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyad) estimated NAFLD and NASH disease progression, primarily based on changes in adult prevalence rates of adult obesity and diabetes mellitus, in Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.
In both countries, the prevalence of NAFLD will increased through 2030 parallel to projected increases in the prevalence of obesity and diabetes mellitus. Increases in NASH cases are relatively greater than the NAFLD cases due to aging of the population and disease progression.
This analysis confirms a large and growing burden of disease associated with NAFLD and NASH, in tandem with a global pandemic of obesity.
