Non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): an overview

Non alcoholic fatty liver disease is an extremely common and under-recognised disorder.The term encompasses a spectrum of histological abnormality ranging  from  simple  steatosis, through  NASH  to  cirrhosis. Insulin  resistance  is central  to  its  pathogenesis  and  is  the  liver  manifestation  of  the  Metabolic Syndrome.  The  natural  history  and  the  risk  factors  for  disease  progression  are incompletely understood but the severity of insulin resistance and having multiple components  of  the  Metabolic  Syndrome  appears  important.Understanding  the pathogenesis is crutial as it provides possible targets for therapeutic intervention. Management of the other components of the Metabolic Syndrome such as weight, hypertension and insulin resistance is important and helps both that component and the liver problem A general, rather than an organ-specific, approach to treating NAFLD and its comorbidity is essential.