Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Asians – An emerging problem

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) isa manifestation of metabolic syndromelargely confined to residents of affluentindustrialized Western countries. Nonalcoholicsteatohepatitis (NASH) is a criticallink in the chain of metabolic fatty liverdisorders that spans steatosis to cryptogeniccirrhosis. The increasing prevalence ofobesity, coupled with diabetes, dyslipidemia,hypertension and the ultimate upsurge inmetabolic syndrome in the Asia-Pacificregion, puts a very large population at risk ofdeveloping NAFLD in the coming decades.The review focuses on the emergingproblem of NAFLD in the Indian and Asia-Pacific region, the risk factors and settings inAsians, the cliniocopathological profile andnatural history and highlights its differencefrom the west. Given the scope of theproblem, efforts should focus primarily onpreventing or ameliorating the impact of riskfactors. The simultaneous identification andappropriate treatment of the components ofmetabolic syndrome are crucial to reducehepatic as well as cardiovascular morbidityand mortality.