Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Disease Burden and Disease Awareness

NAFLD prevalence is increasing all over the world due to rising rates of obesity and T2DM. Future projections estimate that the proportion of NASH and NAFLD will continue to increase, resulting in more patients with advanced stages of liver disease, a rise in hepatocellular cancer cases, and the demand for liver transplantation. In order to combat this daunting clinical and economic burden of NAFLD/NASH, effective pro-grams to raise awareness and identify patients at risk must be undertaken. These ef-forts must be implemented as national and regional guidelines and policies and should be coupled with the development of new therapeutic regimens for progressive NASH.

Automated summary

The prevalence of NAFLD is increasing worldwide due to obesity and T2DM. It is projected that the proportion of NASH and NAFLD will continue to rise, leading to more advanced stages of liver disease, an increase in hepatocellular cancer cases, and the need for liver transplantation. To address this burden, effective programs to raise awareness and identify at-risk patients must be implemented in accordance with national and regional guidelines. Additionally, the development of new therapeutic regimens for progressive NASH should be pursued.