Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology
-
Scand. J. Gastroenterol. · May 2014
ReviewNonalcoholic fatty liver disease and cholesterol gallstones: which comes first?
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and gallstone disease (GD) are both highly prevalent in the general population and are associated with obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and high dietary cholesterol intake. Insulin resistance is a key feature of both NAFLD and GD. Hepatic insulin resistance provides a crucial link between the metabolic syndrome, NAFLD, and increased cholesterol gallstone susceptibility. ⋯ Importantly, both NAFLD and GD are both associated with high incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality. Emerging evidence suggests a potential benefit of statin therapy in NAFLD and GD. Further research is needed to determine (i) how the presence of NAFLD and GD is associated with CVD (ii) and whether the presence of GD in association with NAFLD increases the risk of liver fibrosis, and (iii) the impact of therapy of NAFLD in the incidence of GD.