Editorial
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. May 28, 2024; 30(20): 2633-2637
Published online May 28, 2024. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i20.2633
Impact of lifestyle interventions on pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Wafaa Mohamed Ezzat
Wafaa Mohamed Ezzat, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Center, Giza 12311, Egypt
Author contributions: Ezzat WM designed all activities in this editorial.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author reports no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Wafaa Mohamed Ezzat, MD, Additional Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Center, El Buhoth Street, Cairo, Giza 12311, Egypt. wafaa_3t@yahoo.com
Received: March 20, 2024
Revised: April 15, 2024
Accepted: April 30, 2024
Published online: May 28, 2024
Processing time: 68 Days and 15.4 Hours
Abstract

This editorial builds on the article titled “Establishment and validation of an adherence prediction system for lifestyle interventions in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease” by Zeng et al. We carried out a critical examination of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) pathogenesis and how lifestyle interventions could facilitate disease resolution, particularly highlighting that non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a severe form of NAFLD. Our discussion details that weight loss is a pivotal factor in disease outcomes: A 3%-5% reduction is enough for resolution in 50% of non-obese individuals, while a 7%-10% reduction achieves similar benefits in obese individuals, as demonstrated by magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Additionally, the editorial underscores that such lifestyle changes are instrumental not only in resolving NAFLD but also in reversing hepatic steatosis and inflammation. These insights, derived from the research, emphasize the critical role of personalized lifestyle modifications in halting the progression of NAFLD to NASH and even reversing fibrosis, thus offering a template for effective patient management.

Keywords: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; Diet; Physical activity; Life style

Core Tip: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), closely linked to metabolic disturbances, is a progressive, chronic liver condition whose prevalence escalates with age. NAFLD elevates the mortality risk associated with liver-related illnesses, cardiovascular disease, and various cancers. Effective lifestyle interventions have been demonstrated to not only resolve NAFLD and its severe form, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, but also to reverse fibrosis, underscoring the significant impact of lifestyle on disease prognosis.