Sandbox:Gunnam

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Vamsikrishna Gunnam M.B.B.S [2]

Overview

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD] is due to the deposition of extra fat in liver cells that is not caused by alcohol. It is normal for the liver to contain some fat. However, when there is more than 5% - 10% percent of the liver’s weight is fat, then it is called a fatty liver (steatosis).NAFLD is marked by inflammation that can progress to irreversible damage.It is similar to the damage caused by alcohol consumption in most of the cases. It is estimated that in united states approximately  80 to 100 million people are affected.The most common age for NAFLD to effect is in their 40s and 50s.

Risk Factors

• NAFLD is related to obesity which will result in insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.
• It is estimated that approximately 80% of the obese people suffer from NAFLD.