Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease shows significant sex dimorphism

Figure 2 Sex differences in intrahepatic and extrahepatic outcomes in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. As a metabolic disorder, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is related not only to liver injury but also to a variety of extrahepatic diseases. The picture summarizes the differences between men and women in this respect. Without the protection of estrogen, men have more serious liver fibrosis than women and are more likely to develop liver cancer. The incidence of cardiovascular events and colorectal adenoma in men with NAFLD is higher than that in women. However, female patients have more severe hepatocyte injury and inflammation than male patients and have a higher risk of erosive esophagitis and type 2 diabetes.