Comorbidities and Metabolic Derangement of NAFLD

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an increasingly common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide and is becoming a major public health problem. NAFLD has been recognized as a hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome linked with insulin resistance. Growing evidence supports that NAFLD is associated with systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), type 2 diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. The majority of deaths in patients with NAFLD come from cardiovascular disease. These findings are strongly attributed to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) rather than simple steatosis. NAFLD should be considered not only a liver specific disease but also an early mediator of systemic disease. The underlying mechanisms and pathogenesis of NAFLD with regard to other medical disorders are not yet fully understood. Further investigation is needed for future therapeutic strategies for NAFLD. This review focuses on the relationship between NAFLD and various comorbid diseases and metabolic derangement.