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. 2016 Jun;15(2):75-85.
doi: 10.1007/s11901-016-0295-9. Epub 2016 Mar 28.

Extrahepatic Manifestations of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Lisa B VanWagner  1 , Mary E Rinella  2
Affiliations

Extrahepatic Manifestations of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Lisa B VanWagner et al. Curr Hepatol Rep. 2016 Jun.

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide with an increased prevalence of metabolic, macro- and microvascular complications. The primary causes of mortality in NAFLD are cardiovascular disease (CVD), malignancy and liver disease. NAFLD is a multisystem disease that affects a variety of extra-hepatic organ systems. The main focus of this review is to summarize the reported extra-hepatic associations, which include CVD, chronic kidney disease, obstructive sleep apnea, osteoporosis, psoriasis, colorectal cancer, iron overload and various endocrinopathies (e.g. type 2 diabetes mellitus, thyroid dysfunction, and polycystic ovarian syndrome). Due to the systemic manifestations of NAFLD patients require a multidisciplinary assessment and may benefit from more rigorous surveillance and early treatment interventions to decrease mortality related to malignancy or cardiometabolic diseases.

Keywords: bone disease; cardiovascular disease (CVD); diabetes; iron overload; kidney disease; nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH); sex hormones; sleep apnea; thyroid disease.

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