Review
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World J Gastroenterol. Sep 14, 2014; 20(34): 12082-12101
Published online Sep 14, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i34.12082
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A comprehensive review of a growing epidemic
Kareem Hassan, Varun Bhalla, Mohammed Ezz El Regal, H Hesham A-Kader
Kareem Hassan, Varun Bhalla, Mohammed Ezz El Regal, H Hesham A-Kader, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, United States
Author contributions: Sections of the paper were divided equally amongst Hassan K, Bhalla V, Ezz El Regal M and A-Kader HH; Figures and tables were created by Hassan K using Adobe Photoshop Software and Microsoft Powerpoint; the article and its contents were reviewed in its entirety by the senior author.
Correspondence to: H Hesham A-Kader, MD, MSc, Professor, Chief, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, The University of Arizona, 1501 N Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ 85724, United States. hassan@peds.arizona.edu
Telephone: +1-520-6264140 Fax: +1-520-6264141
Received: February 13, 2014
Revised: April 24, 2014
Accepted: May 23, 2014
Published online: September 14, 2014
Processing time: 217 Days and 8.4 Hours
Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is quickly becoming one of the most prominent causes of liver disease worldwide. The increasing incidence of NAFLD is tied to the obesity epidemic and the subsequent metabolic derangements brought along with it. Current efforts to elucidate the mechanism and causes of the disease have answered some questions, but much remains unknown about NAFLD. The aim of this article is to discuss the current knowledge regarding the pathogenesis of the disease, as well as the current and future diagnostic, preventative, and therapeutic options available to clinicians for the management of NAFLD.

Keywords: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; Steatohepatitis; Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; Pathogenesis; Treatments; Diagnosis; Management; Metformin; Vitamin E; Thiazolidinedione; Imaging; Prevalence

Core tip: Given the increasing prevalence of the disease, Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), adequate knowledge regarding the disease is becoming especially important for physicians and patients. Despite this, since its description in 1981 in pregnant women, NAFLD has been a difficult to understand and treat for both scientists and clinicians. Current efforts to elucidate the mechanism and causes of the disease have answered some questions, but much remains unknown about NAFLD. The aim of this article is to discuss the current knowledge regarding the pathogenesis of the disease, as well as the current and future diagnostic, preventative, and therapeutic options available to clinicians for the management of NAFLD.