Abstract

CARRILLO ESPER, Raúl  and  MUCINO BERMEJO, Jimena. Hígado graso y esteatohepatitis no alcohólica: Conceptos Actuales. Rev. Fac. Med. (Méx.) [online]. 2011, vol.54, n.3, pp.29-45. ISSN 2448-4865.

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) includes hepatic steatosis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma in its clinical presentation and evolution. It is related to obesity, especially abdominal, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and Metabolic Syndrome (SM). Overnutrition, sedentarism, genetic factors, and insulin resistance have been involved in its physiopathology. The prevalence of NAFLD ranges from 17 to 33%. NASH is present in 30% of these cases, 20 to 25% of which become hepatocellular carcinoma. NAFLD is one of the most frequent causes of alterations in hepatic function tests in asymptomatic patients. In its early stage, its main features are abdominal discomfort, fatigue, alanine-aminotransferase (ALAT) increase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), hepatomegaly, and hepatic hyperechogenicity on ultrasound scan. It is not a benign disease, since 32% of patients develop fibrosis, 20% fibrosis, and death risk related to hepatic dysfunction is 12% at 10 years. Therapeutic alternatives aim at modifying the life style and diet, and also include the prescription of drugs, all this affects the disease physiopathology, especially insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.

Keywords : Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; obesity; insulin resistance; metabolic syndrome.

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