The Impact of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease on Chronic Hepatitis B and C

BACKGROUND Aglobal obesity epidemic has led to the increased prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD is now believed to be one of the most common causes of chronic liver disease in the Western world. According the World Health Organization, approximately 300 million people worldwide are obese and this number continues to rise (1). Obesity is related to metabolic conditions such as hypertension, type II diabetes, and dyslipidemia. In the United States, an estimated 47 million adults have metabolic syndrome (2). The criteria established by the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) define metabolic syndrome as the presence of three or more of the following five components: 1) central obesity (waist circumference of more than 40 inches in males and 35 inches in female patients), 2) elevated triglycerides of more than 150 mg/dL, 3) low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) of less than 40 mg/dL in males and 50 mg/dL in females, 4) hypertension as defined by a blood pressure of more than 130/85 mmHg, and 5) a fasting blood glucose of 100 mg/dL. In addition to the ATP-III criteria, several other definitions for metabolic syndrome include visceral adiposity as the common denominator. Visceral obesity and metabolic syndrome lead to several important complications, such as atherVIRAL HEPATITIS, SERIES #7