Extrahepatic complications of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a leading cause of chronic liver disease, and is strongly associated with the metabolic syndrome. In the last decade, it has become apparent that the clinical burden of NAFLD is not restricted to liver-related morbidity or mortality, and the majority of deaths in NAFLD patients are related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. These findings have fuelled concerns that NAFLD may be a new, and added risk factor for extrahepatic diseases such as CVD, chronic kidney disease (CKD), colorectal cancer, endocrinopathies (including type 2 diabetes mellitus [T2DM] and thyroid dysfunction), and osteoporosis. In this review we critically appraise key studies on…

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  Wellcome Trust