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Practical approach to non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with diabetes
Author(s) -
Tai F. W. D.,
Syn W.K.,
Alazawi W.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
diabetic medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.474
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1464-5491
pISSN - 0742-3071
DOI - 10.1111/dme.12725
Subject(s) - steatohepatitis , fatty liver , medicine , cirrhosis , disease , diabetes mellitus , alcoholic liver disease , type 2 diabetes , hepatocellular carcinoma , gastroenterology , population , liver disease , endocrinology , environmental health
Abstract The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is expected to increase in parallel with obesity rates and the ageing population. Recent studies show that Type 2 diabetes is associated with a twofold increase in the risk of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease, a leading cause of chronic liver disease. Individuals with non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis, a more advanced stage of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease, are specifically at risk of developing fibrosis/cirrhosis (end‐stage liver disease) and hepatocellular carcinoma; therefore, identifying individuals (with Type 2 diabetes) who are likely to develop hepatic complications is paramount. In the present clinical review, we discuss the potential impact of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease diagnosis on Type 2 diabetes, and the putative risk factors for developing non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis and non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis fibrosis. We highlight the limitations of currently used tools in non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease diagnosis and staging, and provide an insight into future developments in the field. We present an example of a non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease screening protocol and discuss the therapeutic options currently available to our patients.