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Liver fat as risk factor of hepatic and cardiometabolic diseases |
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| Authors: | Münevver Demir Stefan R Bornstein Christos S Mantzoros Nikolaos Perakakis |
| Institution: | 1. Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Campus Virchow Clinic and Campus Charité Mitte, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany;2. Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden (PLID), Helmholtz Center Munich, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.), Neuherberg, Germany Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences, King's College London, London, UK;3. Division of Endocrinology, Boston VA Healthcare System and Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215 USA;4. Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany |
| Abstract: | Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a disorder characterized by excessive accumulation of fat in the liver that can progress to liver inflammation (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis NASH]), liver fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Although most efforts for drug development are focusing on the treatment of the latest stages of NAFLD, where significant fibrosis and NASH are present, findings from studies suggest that the amount of liver fat may be an important independent risk factor and/or predictor of development and progression of NAFLD and metabolic diseases. In this review, we first describe the current tools available for quantification of liver fat in humans and then present the clinical and pathophysiological evidence that link liver fat with NAFLD progression as well as with cardiometabolic diseases. Finally, we discuss current pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches to reduce liver fat and present open questions that have to be addressed in future studies. |
| Keywords: | cardiovascular diabetes obesity steatosis |