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Abstract Details
Bariatric surgery and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Med Clin (Barc). 2022 Jun 10;158(11):550-555. doi: 10.1016/j.medcli.2021.12.003.Epub 2022 Feb 2.
1Endocrinology Department, Hospital Universitari del Mar, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Department of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08139 Barcelona, Spain.
2Endocrinology Department, Hospital Universitari del Mar, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Department of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08139 Barcelona, Spain; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Consorci Sanitari de l'Alt Penedès i Garraf, 08720 Vilafranca del Penedès, Spain. Electronic address: 96002@parcdesalutmar.cat.
3Endocrinology Department, Hospital Universitari del Mar, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Department of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08139 Barcelona, Spain; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic disease that may lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma; its close relationship with obesity and the metabolic syndrome involves an increasing prevalence. Invasive liver biopsy is the gold standard diagnosis technique for NAFLD but entails risks. Therefore, transient elastography, a non-invasive technique with high reliability, is frequently used in clinical practice. Bariatric surgery is the only effective treatment for long-term weight loss and obesity-related metabolic conditions improvement. Although studies report encouraging results of bariatric surgery as a valuable therapy for NAFLD, guidelines for its use in NAFLD are ambiguous. Indeed, the mechanisms driving this improvement are largely unknown, but likely involve weight loss-dependent and independent factors including anatomic and hormonal changes. This review aims to update the relationship between NAFLD and bariatric surgery, focusing on the indications for surgery and the mechanisms implied in NAFLD improvement.