Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
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J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. · Jun 2007
What are the risk factors and settings for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Asia-Pacific?
The risk factors and settings for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Asians are reviewed comprehensively. Based particularly on large community-based studies using ultrasonography, case-control series and prospective longitudinal studies, the prevalence of NAFLD in Asia is between 12% and 24%, depending on age, gender, locality and ethnicity. Further, the prevalence in China and Japan has nearly doubled in the last 10-15 years. ⋯ The increasing prevalence of obesity, coupled with T2DM, dyslipidemia, hypertension and ultimately metabolic syndrome puts more than half the world's population at risk of developing NAFLD/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis/cirrhosis in the coming decades. Public health initiatives are clearly imperative to halt or reverse the global 'diabesity' pandemic, the underlying basis of NAFLD and metabolic syndrome. In addition, a perspective of NAFLD beyond its hepatic consequences is now warranted; this needs to be considered in relation to management guidelines for affected individuals.