Author information
1
Center for Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Inova Fairfax Hospital, USA.
2
Betty and Guy Beatty Center for Integrated Research, Inova Health System, USA.
3
Department of Medicine III, University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
4
Departamento de Gastroenterolog'ıa, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
5
Centro de Envejecimiento y Regeneración, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia.
6
Department of Gastroenterology, GIPMER, New Delhi, India.
7
Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt.
8
Division of Gastroenterology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
9
Institute of Digestive Disease, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
10
Department of Gastroenterology, Marmara University, School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
11
Department of Gastroenterology&Hepatology, Westmead Hospital, University of Sidney, Australia.
12
Center for Fatty Liver, Department of Gastroenterology, Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong university School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
13
Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Nutrition Health Sciences, Emory University, USA.
Abstract
Over the past 2 decades, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has grown from a relatively unknown disease to the most common cause of CLD in the world. In fact, 25% of the world's population is currently thought to have NAFLD. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the subtype of NAFLD that can progress to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and death. NAFLD and NASH are found in not only adults-there is a high prevalence in children and adolescents. Due to NAFLD's close association with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and obesity, the latest models predict the prevalence of NAFLD and NASH will increase, causing a tremendous clinical and economic burden and poor patient-reported outcomes. Nonetheless, there is no accurate non-invasive method to detect NASH and treatment is limited to life style modifications. To examine the state of NAFLD among different regions and understand the global trajectory of this disease, an international group of experts came together during 2017 AASLD Global NAFLD Forum. We provide a summary of this forum and an assessment of the current state of NAFLD and NASH worldwide.