The risk of incident extrahepatic cancers is higher in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease than obesity - A longitudinal cohort study

Hypercoagulability in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD): Causes and Consequences

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease, and it is anticipated that it could become even more prevalent in parallel with an increase in the incidence of metabolic diseases closely related to NAFLD, such as obesity, type II diabetes, dyslipidemia, and arterial hypertension. In addition to liver impairment, NAFLD is associated with cardiovascular diseases. Fibrosis, atherosclerosis, and venous thrombosis are basically the pathogenic mechanisms behind these clinical manifestations, and all are plausibly associated with hypercoagulability that may, in turn, develop because of an imbalance of pro- vs. anticoagulants and the presence of such procoagulant molecular species as microvesicles, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), and inflammation. The assessment of hypercoagulability by means of thrombin generation is a global procedure that mimics the coagulation process occurring in vivo much better than any other coagulation test, and is considered to be the best candidate laboratory tool for assessing, with a single procedure, the balance of coagulation in NAFLD. In addition to defining the state of hypercoagulability, the assessment of thrombin generation could also be used to investigate, in clinical trials, the best approach (therapeutic and/or lifestyle changes) for minimizing hypercoagulability and, hence, the risk of cardiovascular diseases, progression to atherosclerosis, and liver fibrosis in patients with NAFLD.

What's new in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease?

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of liver disease worldwide, with an estimated prevalence of 25% in the Western World. NAFLD is a broad spectrum of disease states and while most people with NAFLD do not have progressive disease, 10-20% of patients develop histological features of inflammation (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis), fibrosis, cirrhosis and its complications. Despite this large disease burden of significant clinical impact, most people living with NAFLD are undiagnosed, disease course prediction is imprecise and there are no treatments licensed for this condition. In this review, we discuss some of the recent developments in NAFLD, focusing on disease definition and diagnosis, risk stratification and treatments.

Prediction of Pancreatic Cancer in Diabetes Patients with Worsening Glycemic Control

BACKGROUND

Worsening glycemic control indicates elevated risk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We developed prediction models for PDAC among those with worsening glycemic control after diabetes diagnosis.

METHODS

In 2000-2016 records within the Veterans Affairs Health System (VA), we identified three cohorts with progression of diabetes: (i) insulin initiation (n = 449,685), (ii) initiation of combination oral hypoglycemic medication (n = 414,460), and (iii) hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≥8% with ≥Δ1% within 15 months (n = 593,401). We computed 12-, 36-, and 60-month incidence of PDAC and developed prediction models separately for males and females, with consideration of >30 demographic, behavioral, clinical, and laboratory variables. Models were selected to optimize Akaike's Information Criterion, and performance for predicting 12-, 36-, and 60-month incident PDAC was evaluated by bootstrap.

RESULTS

Incidence of PDAC was highest for insulin initiators and greater in males than in females. Optimism-corrected c-indices of the models for predicting 36-month incidence of PDAC in the male population were: (i) 0.72, (ii) 0.70, and (iii) 0.71, respectively. Models performed better for predicting 12-month incident PDAC [c-index (i) 0.78, (ii) 0.73, (iii) 0.76 for males], and worse for predicting 60-month incident PDAC [c-index (i) 0.69, (ii) 0.67, (iii) 0.68 for males]. Model performance was lower among females. For subjects whose model-predicted 36-month PDAC risks were ≥1%, the observed incidences were (i) 1.9%, (ii) 2.2%, and (iii) 1.8%.

CONCLUSIONS

Sex-specific models for PDAC can estimate risk of PDAC at the time of progression of diabetes.

IMPACT

Our models can identify diabetes patients who would benefit from PDAC screening.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in adults 2021: A clinical practice guideline of the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver (AISF), the Italian Society of Diabetology (SID) and the Italian Society of Obesity (SIO)

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common and emerging liver disease in adults, paralleling the epidemic of obesity and diabetes, and leading to worrisome events (hepatocellular carcinoma and end-stage liver disease). In the last years, mounting evidence added insights about epidemiology, natural history, diagnosis and lifestyle-based or drug treatment of NAFLD. In this rapidly evolving scenario, members of the Associazione Italiana per lo Studio del Fegato (AISF), the Società Italiana di Diabetologia (SID) and the Società Italiana dell'Obesità (SIO) reviewed current knowledge on NAFLD. The quality of the published evidence is graded, and practical recommendations are made following the rules and the methodology suggested in Italy by the Centro Nazionale per l'Eccellenza delle cure (CNEC) and Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS). Whenever possible, recommendations are placed within the context the Italian Healthcare system, with reference to specific experience and local diagnostic and management resources. Level of evidence: Level of evidence of recommendations for each PICO question were reported according to available evidence.

How will NAFLD change the liver transplant landscape in the 2020s?

Liver steatosis is the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome, and is now the leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. The treatment of metabolic cirrhosis with liver failure and/or hepatocellular carcinoma is liver transplantation (LT). During the past decade, metabolic cirrhosis represented an increasing cause for LT, especially in the United States. At listing, patients with metabolic cirrhosis are older, with numerous cardiovascular (CV) and renal comorbidities, and this requires multidisciplinary pre-transplant assessment. After LT, 5-year survival is similar to other indications. The leading causes of death are infectious, cancers and CV. The recurrence of the initial disease is very frequent, and a significant part of the patients progress towards graft cirrhosis. No specific immunosuppressive regimen is recommended, but the toxicity profiles must probably be taken into account. In these patients, the only etiological treatment is that of obesity, in the absence of specific therapy for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. The place of bariatric surgery has to be defined, probably sleeve gastrectomy, in a stable patient, 6-12 months after LT.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is specifically related to the risk of hepatocellular cancer but not extrahepatic malignancies

OBJECTIVE

We performed a matched cohort study among individuals with and without nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to determine: 1) the incidence of cancers (extrahepatic and liver) and their spectrum and 2) if NAFLD increases the risk of extrahepatic cancers.

METHODS

The NAFLD and non-NAFLD (control) cohorts were identified from electronic medical records via International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes from a single center and followed from 2010 to 2019. Cohorts were matched 1:2 for age, sex, race, body mass index (BMI), and type 2 diabetes.

RESULTS

A total of 1,412 subjects were included in the analyses. There were 477 individuals with NAFLD and 935 controls (median age, 52 years; women, 54%; white vs. black: 59% vs. 38%; median BMI, 30.4 kg/m²; type 2 diabetes, 34%). The cancer incidence (per 100,000 person-years) was 535 vs. 1,513 (NAFLD vs. control). Liver cancer incidence (per 100,000 person-years) was 89 in the NAFLD group vs. 0 in the control group, whereas the incidence of malignancy was higher across other types of cancer in the control group vs. in the NAFLD group.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall extrahepatic cancer risk in NAFLD is not increased above and beyond the risk from background risk factors such as age, race, sex, BMI, and type 2 diabetes.

Epidemiology and Clinical Outcomes of Metabolic (Dysfunction)-associated Fatty Liver Disease

Metabolic (dysfunction)-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is currently the most common chronic liver disease and affects at least a quarter of the global adult population. It has rapidly become one of the leading causes of hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis in Western countries. In this review, we discuss the nomenclature and definition of MAFLD as well as its prevalence and incidence in different geographical regions. Although cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in MAFLD patients, the proportion of patients dying from hepatic complications increases sharply as the disease progresses to advanced liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. In addition, patients with MAFLD are at increased risk of various extrahepatic cancers. Although a causal relationship between MAFLD and extrahepatic cancers has not been established, clinicians should recognize the association and consider cancer screening (e.g., for colorectal cancer) as appropriate.

Low Screening Rates Despite a High Prevalence of Significant Liver Fibrosis in People with Diabetes from Primary and Secondary Care

Diabetes is a driver of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and fibrosis. We determine current practices in examining liver fibrosis in people with diabetes and record prevalence levels in primary and secondary care. We extracted HbA_1c results ≥48 mmol/mol to identify people with diabetes, then examined the proportion who had AST, ALT, and platelets results, facilitating calculation of non-invasive fibrosis tests (NIT), or an enhanced liver fibrosis score. Fibrosis markers were requested in only 1.49% (390/26,090), of which 29.7% (n = 106) had evidence of significant fibrosis via NIT. All patients at risk of fibrosis had undergone transient elastography (TE), biopsy or imaging. TE and biopsy data showed that 80.6% of people with raised fibrosis markers had confirmed significant fibrosis. We also show that fibrosis levels as detected by NIT are marginally lower in patients treated with newer glucose lowering agents (sodium-glucose transporter protein 2 inhibitors, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists). In conclusion by utilising a large consecutively recruited dataset we demonstrate that liver fibrosis is infrequently screened for in patients with diabetes despite high prevalence rates of advanced fibrosis. This highlights the need for cost-effectiveness analyses to support the incorporation of widespread screening into national guidelines and the requirement for healthcare practitioners to incorporate NAFLD screening into routine diabetes care.

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 ameliorates lipid accumulation and inflammation in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 (IGFBP1) is recently proved to be associated with glucose regulation and insulin resistance. However, little is known about its direct impact on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study aims to investigate the effect and potential mechanism of IGFBP1 in NAFLD.

METHODS

We first measured the expression level of IGFBP1 in NAFLD patients, mice, and cells. Then in in vivo study, C57BL/6 mice were fed with a methionine/choline-deficient (MCD) diet for 4 weeks to establish the model of NAFLD. And for the last 2 weeks, the mice were injected intraperitoneally with vehicle or recombinant mouse IGFBP1 0.015 mg/kg/d. The L02 cells were treated with free fatty acids (FFA) or palmitate acids (PA) and recombinant IGFBP1 for 48 h. Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) inhibitor and small interfering RNA were used to explore the potential interactions between IGFBP1 and integrin β1 (ITGB1).

RESULTS

The expression of IGFBP1 was increased in NAFLD patients, mice, and cells. IGFBP1 treatment significantly ameliorated lipid accumulation and hepatic injury in MCD-fed mice. IGFBP1 downregulated hepatic lipogenesis and upregulated lipid β-oxidation. In addition, IGFBP1 attenuated the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) signaling pathways. In vitro, we proved that IGFBP1 relieved FFA-induced lipid accumulation via interacting with ITGB1 and alleviated inflammation by inhibiting NF-κB and ERK signaling pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

IGFBP1 treatment significantly ameliorated hepatic steatosis by interacting with ITGB1 and suppressed inflammation by inhibiting NF-κB and ERK signaling pathways. Therefore, IGFBP1 might be a potential therapeutic target for NAFLD.

Cancer Risk in Patients With Biopsy-Confirmed Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Population-Based Cohort Study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Recent studies link NAFLD to an increased incidence of HCC and extrahepatic cancers. However, earlier studies were small or lacked liver histology, which remains the gold standard for staging NAFLD severity.

APPROACH AND RESULTS

We conducted a population-based cohort study of all adults with histologically defined NAFLD in Sweden from 1966 to 2016 (N = 8,892). NAFLD was defined from prospectively recorded liver histopathology submitted to all 28 Swedish pathology departments and categorized as simple steatosis, nonfibrotic NASH, noncirrhotic fibrosis, and cirrhosis. NAFLD patients were individually matched to ≤5 general population controls without NAFLD by age, sex, calendar year, and county (N = 39,907). Using Cox proportional hazards modeling, we calculated multivariable adjusted HRs (aHRs) and 95% CIs. Over a median of 13.8 years, we documented 1,691 incident cancers among NAFLD patients and 6,733 among controls. Compared with controls, NAFLD patients had significantly increased overall cancer incidence (10.9 vs. 13.8 per 1,000 person-years [PYs]; difference = 2.9 per 1,000 PYs; aHR, 1.27 [95% CI, 1.18-1.36]), driven primarily by HCC (difference = 1.1 per 1,000 PYs; aHR, 17.08 [95% CI, 11.56-25.25]). HCC incidence rates increased monotonically across categories of simple steatosis, nonfibrotic NASH, noncirrhotic fibrosis, and cirrhosis (0.8 per 1,000 PYs, 1.2 per 1,000 PYs, 2.3 per 1,000 PYs, and 6.2 per 1,000 PYs, respectively; P_trend  < 0.01) and were further amplified by diabetes (1.2 per 1,000 PYs, 2.9 per 1,000 PYs, 7.2 per 1,000 PYs, and 15.7 per 1,000 PYs, respectively). In contrast, NAFLD was associated with modestly increased rates of pancreatic cancer, kidney/bladder cancer, and melanoma (differences = 0.2 per 1,000 PYs, 0.1 per 1,000 PYs, and 0.2 per 1,000 PYs, respectively), but no other cancers.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with controls, patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD had significantly increased cancer incidence, attributable primarily to HCC, whereas the contribution of extrahepatic cancers was modest. Although HCC risk was highest with cirrhosis, substantial excess risk was also found with noncirrhotic fibrosis and comorbid diabetes.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in children and young adults is associated with increased long-term mortality

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Longitudinal data are scarce regarding the natural history and long-term risk of mortality in children and young adults with biopsy-confirmed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

METHODS

This nationwide, matched cohort study included all Swedish children and young adults (≤25 years) with biopsy-confirmed NAFLD (1966-2017; n = 718). NAFLD was confirmed histologically from all liver biopsies submitted to Sweden's 28 pathology departments, and further categorized as simple steatosis or steatohepatitis (NASH). Patients with NAFLD were matched to ≤5 general population controls by age, sex, calendar year and county (n = 3,457). To account for shared genetic and early-life factors, we also matched patients with NAFLD to full-sibling comparators. Using Cox regression, we estimated multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% CIs.

RESULTS

Over a median of 15.8 years, 59 patients with NAFLD died (5.5/1,000 person-years [PY]) compared to 36 population controls (0.7/1,000 PY; difference = 4.8/1,000 PY; multivariable aHR 5.88; 95% CI 3.77-9.17), corresponding to 1 additional death per 15 patients with NAFLD, followed for 20 years. The 20-year absolute risk of overall mortality was 7.7% among patients with NAFLD, and 1.1% among controls (difference = 6.6%; 95% CI 4.0-9.2). Findings persisted after excluding those who died within the first 6 months (aHR 4.65; 95% CI 2.92-7.42), and after using full-sibling comparators (aHR 11.72; 95% CI 3.18-43.23). Simple steatosis was associated with a 5.26-fold higher adjusted rate of mortality compared to controls (95% CI 3.05-9.07), and this was amplified with NASH (aHR 11.51, 95% CI 4.77-27.79). Most of the excess mortality was from cancer (1.67 vs. 0.07/1,000PY; aHR 15.60; 95% CI 4.97-48.93), liver disease (0.93 vs. 0.04/1,000PY; aHR 16.46; 95% CI 2.75-98.43) and cardiometabolic disease (1.12 vs. 0.14/1,000PY; aHR 4.32, 95% CI 1.73-10.79).

CONCLUSIONS

Swedish children and young adults with biopsy-confirmed NAFLD have significantly higher rates of overall, cancer-, liver- and cardiometabolic-specific mortality compared to matched general population controls.

LAY SUMMARY

Currently, the natural history and long-term risk of mortality in children and young adults with biopsy-confirmed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is unknown. This nationwide cohort study compared the risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in pediatric and young adult patients in Sweden with biopsy-confirmed NAFLD to matched general population controls. We found that compared to controls, children and young adults with biopsy-confirmed NAFLD and NASH have significantly higher rates of overall, cancer-, liver- and cardiometabolic-specific mortality.

Incidence of liver-related morbidity and mortality in a population cohort of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) increases morbidity and mortality. However, patients in biopsy-based cohorts are highly selected and the absolute risks of liver- and non-liver outcomes in NAFLD in population remains undefined. We analysed both liver-related and non-liver-related outcomes in Finnish population cohorts of NAFLD.

METHODS

We included 10 993 individuals (6707 men, mean age 53.3 ± 12.6 years) with NAFLD (fatty liver index ≥60) from the Finnish population-based FINRISK and Health 2000 studies. Liver fibrosis was assessed by the dAAR score, and genetic risk by a recent polygenic risk score (PRS-5). Incident liver-related outcomes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer and chronic kidney disease (CKD) were identified through linkage with national registries.

RESULTS

Mean follow-up was 12.1 years (1128 069 person-years). The crude incidence rate of liver-related outcomes in NAFLD was 0.97/1000 person-years. The cumulative incidence increased with age, being respectively 2.4% and 1.5% at 20 years in men and women aged 60 years at baseline, while the relative risks for CVD and cancer were 9-16 times higher. The risk of CKD exceeded that of liver outcomes at a baseline age around 50 years. 20-year cumulative incidence of liver-related outcomes was 4.3% in the high, and 1.5% in the low PRS-5 group. The dAAR score associated with liver outcomes, but not with extra-hepatic outcomes.

CONCLUSION

The absolute risk of liver-related outcomes in NAFLD is low, with much higher risk of CVD and cancer, emphasizing the need for more individualized and holistic risk-stratification in NAFLD.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Current therapeutic options

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease and has an estimated global prevalence of 25%. NAFLD is found in up to 80% of people with obesity and over 60% of patients with diabetes. Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of mortality, followed by extra-hepatic cancers and then liver-specific complications of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Lifestyle modification remains the primary intervention in NAFLD. Weight loss achieved through dietary modification and exercise can lead to histologic improvement and reversal of metabolic complications. Current drug therapy is limited to pioglitazone and vitamin E; however, several agents are currently under phase III development. This review summarises the current treatment options in NAFLD.

Fatty liver disease and changes in dense breasts in pre- and postmenopausal women: the Kangbuk Samsung Health Study

PURPOSE

While increased breast density is a risk factor for breast cancer, the effect of fatty liver disease on breast density is unknown. We investigated whether fatty liver is a risk factor for changes in breast density over ~ 4 years of follow-up in pre- and postmenopausal women.

METHODS

This study included 74,781 middle-aged Korean women with mammographically determined dense breasts at baseline. Changes in dense breasts were identified by more screening mammograms during follow-up. Hepatic steatosis (HS) was measured using ultrasonography. Flexible parametric proportional hazards models were used to determine the adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and a Weibull accelerated failure time model (AFT) was used to determine the time ratios (TRs) and 95% CIs.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 4.1 years, 4022 women experienced resolution of the dense breasts. The association between HS and dense breast resolution differed by the menopause status (P for interaction < 0.001). After adjusting for body mass index and other covariates, the aHRs (95% CI) for dense breast resolution comparing HS to non-HS were 0.81 (0.70-0.93) in postmenopausal women, while the association was converse in premenopausal women with the corresponding HRs of 1.30 (1.18-1.43). As an alternative approach, the multivariable-adjusted TR (95% CI) for dense breast survival comparing HS to non-HS were 0.81 (0.75-0.87) and 1.19 (1.06-1.33) in premenopausal and postmenopausal women, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The association between HS and changes in dense breasts differed with the menopause status. HS increased persistent dense breast survival in postmenopausal women but decreased it in premenopausal women.

Network Pharmacology-Based Analysis on the Potential Biological Mechanisms of Sinisan Against Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most prevalent liver disease in China. Sinisan (SNS) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula that has been widely used in treating chronic liver diseases, including NAFLD. However, its underlying biological mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, we employed a network pharmacology approach consisting of overlapped terms- (genes or pathway terms-) based analysis, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network-based analysis, and PPI clusters identification. Unlike the previous network pharmacology study, we used the shortest path length-based network proximity algorithm to evaluate the efficacy of SNS against NAFLD. And we also used random walk with restart (RWR) algorithm and Community Cluster (Glay) algorithm to identify important targets and clusters. The screening results showed that the mean shortest path length between genes of SNS and NAFLD was significantly smaller than degree-matched random ones. Six PPI clusters were identified and ten hub targets were obtained, including STAT3, CTNNB1, MAPK1, MAPK3, AGT, NQO1, TOP2A, FDFT1, ALDH4A1, and KCNH2. The experimental study indicated that SNS reduced hyperlipidemia, liver steatosis, and inflammation. Most importantly, JAK2/STAT3 signal was inhibited by SNS treatment and was recognized as the most important signal considering the network pharmacology part. This study provides a systems perspective to study the relationship between Chinese medicines and diseases and helps to discover potential mechanisms by which SNS ameliorates NAFLD.

Incorporating fatty liver disease in multidisciplinary care and novel clinical trial designs for patients with metabolic diseases

With the global epidemics of obesity and associated conditions, including type 2 diabetes, metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, stroke, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, cancer, and cognitive changes, the prevalence of multimorbidity is rapidly increasing worldwide. In this Review, a panel of international experts from across the spectrum of metabolic diseases come together to identify the challenges and provide perspectives on building a framework for a virtual primary care-driven, patient-centred, multidisciplinary model to deliver holistic care for patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease and associated metabolic diseases. We focus on clinical care and innovative trial design for metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease and associated metabolic diseases. This work represents a call to action to promote collaboration and partnerships between stakeholders for improving the lives of people with, or at risk of, metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease and associated metabolic diseases.

The Troubling Link Between Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Extrahepatic Cancers (EHC)

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a fast-spreading epidemic across the globe and has serious implications far beyond that of a "benign" liver condition. It is usually an outcome of ectopic fat storage due to chronic positive energy balance leading to obesity and is associated with multiple health problems. While association with cardiovascular disease and hepatocellular cancer is well recognized, it is becoming clear the NAFLD carries with it an increased risk of cancers of extrahepatic tissues. Studies have reported a higher risk for cancers of the colon, breast, prostate, lung, and pancreas. Fatty liver is associated with increased mortality; there is an urgent need to understand that fatty liver is not always benign, and not always associated with obesity. It is, however, a reversible condition and early recognition and intervention can alter its natural history and associated complications.

Is there a link between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease aspects and pancreatic cancer? Results of a case-matched study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

An association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has been previously suggested. This study aims at investigating this association and at identifying potential links between variables of the NAFLD spectrum and PDAC.

METHODS

A cross-sectional case-matched analytical and comparative study was carried out to analyze patients undergoing surgical resection of PDAC and compare them to a control group of individuals undergoing cholecystectomy at a public tertiary teaching hospital, matched by sex, age and BMI. Hepatic histopathological examinations were compared between cases and controls.

RESULTS

Of 56 individuals, 36 were male (64.3%) and the median age was 61.5 years old (interquartile range: 57.5 - 70). The participants' median BMI was 24.3 kg/m2 (interquartile range: 22.1-26.2 kg/m2). Microvesicular steatosis (p=0.04), hepatocellular ballooning (p=0.02), fibrosis (p=0.0003) and steatohepatitis (p=0.03) were significantly more frequent in the group of cases. Odds ratios for hepatocellular ballooning (6.2; 95%CI: 1.2-31.8; p=0.03), fibrosis (9.3; 95%CI: 2.5-34.1; p=0.0008) and steatohepatitis (3.9; 95%CI: 1.1-14.3; p=0.04) were statistically significant in relation to the PDAC prevalence.

CONCLUSIONS

Significant associations were identified between histopathological aspects of NAFLD (microvesicular steatosis, hepatocellular ballooning, fibrosis, and steatohepatitis) and PDAC.

Mortality in biopsy-confirmed nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: results from a nationwide cohort

OBJECTIVE

Population-based data are lacking regarding the risk of overall and cause-specific mortality across the complete histological spectrum of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

DESIGN

This nationwide, matched cohort study included all individuals in Sweden with biopsy-confirmed NAFLD (1966 to 2017; n=10 568). NAFLD was confirmed histologically from all liver biopsies submitted to Sweden's 28 pathology departments, after excluding other etiologies of liver disease, and further categorised as, simple steatosis, non-fibrotic steatohepatitis (NASH), non-cirrhotic fibrosis and cirrhosis. NAFLD cases were matched to ≤5 general population comparators by age, sex, calendar year and county (n=49 925). Using Cox regression, we estimated multivariable-adjusted HRs (aHRs) and 95% CIs.

RESULTS

Over a median of 14.2 years, 4,338 NAFLD patients died. Compared with controls, NAFLD patients had significantly increased overall mortality (16.9 vs 28.6/1000 PY; difference=11.7/1000 PY; aHR=1.93, 95% CI=1.86 to 2.00). Compared with controls, significant excess mortality risk was observed with simple steatosis (8.3/1000 PY, aHR=1.71, 95% CI=1.64 to 1.79), non-fibrotic NASH (13.4/1000 PY, aHR=2.14, 95% CI=1.93 to 2.38), non-cirrhotic fibrosis (18.4/1000 PY, aHR=2.44, 95% CI=2.22 to 2.69) and cirrhosis (53.6/1000 PY, aHR=3.79, 95% CI=3.34 to 4.30)(ptrend <0.01). This dose-dependent gradient was similar when simple steatosis was the reference (ptrend <0.01). The excess mortality associated with NAFLD was primarily from extrahepatic cancer (4.5/1000 PY, aHR=2.16, 95% CI=2.03 to 2.30), followed by cirrhosis (2.7/1000 PY, aHR=18.15, 95% CI=14.78 to 22.30), cardiovascular disease (1.4/1000 PY, aHR=1.35, 95% CI=1.26 to 1.44) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (1.2/1000 PY, aHR=11.12, 95% CI=8.65 to 14.30).

CONCLUSION

All NAFLD histological stages were associated with significantly increased overall mortality, and this risk increased progressively with worsening NAFLD histology. Most of this excess mortality was from extrahepatic cancer and cirrhosis, while in contrast, the contributions of cardiovascular disease and HCC were modest.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a multisystem disease requiring a multidisciplinary and holistic approach

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a public health problem worldwide. This narrative Review provides an overview of the current literature to support the notion that NAFLD is a multisystem disease. Convincing evidence shows a strong association between NAFLD and the risk of developing multiple extrahepatic complications such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (ie, the predominant cause of mortality in people with NAFLD), chronic kidney disease, and some types of extrahepatic malignancies. The magnitude of this risk parallels the severity of NAFLD (especially the stage of liver fibrosis). There are probably multiple underlying mechanisms by which NAFLD might increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and extrahepatic complications. Addressing the growing burden of NAFLD will require setting up a multidisciplinary working group and framework to progress and embrace novel collaborative ways of working to deliver holistic, person-centred care and management of people with NAFLD.

Bariatric Surgery Reduces Cancer Risk in Adults With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Severe Obesity

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with obesity and increased risk of cancer. The impacts of bariatric surgery on cancer risk in NAFLD patients are unknown. We investigated the effect of bariatric surgery on cancer risk in patients with NAFLD and severe obesity using the MarketScan database.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 18 to 64 years old newly diagnosed NAFLD patients with severe obesity between 2007 and 2017. We used Cox proportional hazard models to examine the association between bariatric surgery, modeled as a time-varying covariate, and the risks of any cancer and obesity-related cancer, while accounting for confounding using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW).

RESULTS

A total of 98,090 patients were included in the study, 33,435 (34.1%) received bariatric surgery. In those without surgery, 1898 incident cases of cancer occurred over 115,890.11 person-years of follow-up, compared with 925 cancer cases over 67,389.82 person-years among surgery patients (crude rate ratio, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.77- 0.91). The IPTW-adjusted risk of any cancer and obesity-related cancer was reduced by 18% (hazard ratio, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.76-0.89) and 25% (hazard ratio, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.56-0.75), respectively, in patients with versus without bariatric surgery. The adjusted risks of any cancer and obesity-related cancer were significantly lower in cirrhotic versus non-cirrhotic patients who underwent surgery. In cancer-specific models, bariatric surgery was associated with significant risk reductions for colorectal, pancreatic, endometrial, thyroid cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma, and multiple myeloma.

CONCLUSION

Bariatric surgery was associated with significant reductions in the risks of any cancer and obesity-related cancer in NAFLD patients with severe obesity.

Obesity-related Cancers: The Coming Epidemic

The world is in the grip of an obesity pandemic, with tripling of obesity rates since 1975; it is predicted that one-third of people on Earth will be obese by 2025. The health consequences of obesity are primarily thought to be related to cardiometabolic disorders such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. It is less well appreciated that obesity has been related to at least 13 different cancers and in future, (with increasing control over tobacco misuse and infections), obesity will be the main cause of cancers. While this is an area of active research, there are large gaps in the definition of what is an obesity related cancer (JRC) and more importantly, what are the underlying mechanisms. To an extent, this is due to the controversy on what constitutes “unhealthy obesity” which is further related to the causes of obesity. This narrative review examines the causes and measurement of obesity, the types of obesity-related cancers and possible mechanisms. The information has wide implications ranging from prevention, screening, prognosis and therapeutic strategies. Obesity related cancers should be an area of high-priority research. Oncologists can contribute by spreading awareness and instituting management measures for individual patients in their care.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has a global prevalence of 25% and is a leading cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. NAFLD encompasses a disease continuum from steatosis with or without mild inflammation (non-alcoholic fatty liver), to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is characterised by necroinflammation and faster fibrosis progression than non-alcoholic fatty liver. NAFLD has a bidirectional association with components of the metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes increases the risk of cirrhosis and related complications. Although the leading causes of death in people with NAFLD are cardiovascular disease and extrahepatic malignancy, advanced liver fibrosis is a key prognostic marker for liver-related outcomes and overall mortality, and can be assessed with combinations of non-invasive tests. Patients with cirrhosis should be screened for hepatocellular carcinoma and oesophageal varices. There is currently no approved therapy for NAFLD, although several drugs are in advanced stages of development. Because of the complex pathophysiology and substantial heterogeneity of disease phenotypes, combination treatment is likely to be required for many patients with NAFLD. Healthy lifestyle and weight reduction remain crucial to the prevention and treatment of NAFLD.

Outcomes of excessive alcohol drinkers without baseline evidence of chronic liver disease after 15 years follow-up: Heavy burden of cancer and liver disease mortality

Background

Most long-term heavy drinkers do not have clinically evident chronic liver disease (CLD). However, at any time-point, their risk of developing CLD remains unknown. We aimed to evaluate the long-term outcomes of a group of heavy drinkers, without evidence of CLD at baseline.

Methods

A cohort of 123 long-term heavy drinkers without CLD were prospectively recruited in 2002 and retrospectively followed until 2018.

Results

At baseline (2002), median alcohol consumption was 271±203g/day during 21.5±20 years, 65% being abstinent during the previous 1.75±5 months. Patients were followed for 14±3 years. During follow-up, 53% reported any alcohol intake. Alcohol consumption during follow-up associated weakly with either 1- or 6-months previous abstinence at baseline. Until 2018, progression to CLD occurred in 6%, associating with years of alcohol intake during follow-up (OR 1.15 [1.01–1.31]) and baseline alkaline-phosphatase (OR 1.05 [1.01–1.10]). During follow-up, being abstinent for at least 1 year positively associated with CLD-free survival. 27% died (55% of cancer–mostly oropharyngeal cancer, 27% of cardiovascular disease, and 9% of liver disease), with a mean age of 71 years [69–74] (10 years less than the expected in the Portuguese population). Achieving abstinence for at least 1 year positively associated with overall survival, while smoking, and hepatic steatosis at baseline associated negatively.

Conclusion

Long-term heavy drinkers seemed to have a decreased life expectancy compared with the overall Portuguese population. Cancer was the main cause of death. Our results suggest that progression to CLD depends mostly on continued alcohol intake. Alcohol abstinence, even if temporary, seems to decrease the risks of CLD and mortality.

Perspectives on Precision Medicine Approaches to NAFLD Diagnosis and Management

Precision medicine defines the attempt to identify the most effective approaches for specific subsets of patients based on their genetic background, clinical features, and environmental factors. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) encompasses the alcohol-like spectrum of liver disorders (steatosis, steatohepatitis with/without fibrosis, and cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma) in the nonalcoholic patient. Recently, disease renaming to MAFLD [metabolic (dysfunction)-associated fatty liver disease] and positive criteria for diagnosis have been proposed. This review article is specifically devoted to envisaging some clues that may be useful to implementing a precision medicine-oriented approach in research and clinical practice. To this end, we focus on how sex and reproductive status, genetics, intestinal microbiota diversity, endocrine and metabolic status, as well as physical activity may interact in determining NAFLD/MAFLD heterogeneity. All these factors should be considered in the individual patient with the aim of implementing an individualized therapeutic plan. The impact of considering NAFLD heterogeneity on the development of targeted therapies for NAFLD subgroups is also extensively discussed.

Global, regional, and national mortality trends of female breast cancer by risk factor, 1990-2017

BACKGROUND

Female breast cancer (FBC) is a malignancy involving multiple risk factors and has imposed heavy disease burden on women. We aim to analyze the secular trends of mortality rate of FBC according to its major risk factors.

METHODS

Death data of FBC at the global, regional, and national levels were retrieved from the online database of Global Burden of Disease study 2017. Deaths of FBC attributable to alcohol use, high body-mass index (BMI), high fasting plasma glucose (FPG), low physical activity, and tobacco were collected. Estimated average percentage change (EAPC) was used to quantify the temporal trends of age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) of FBC in 1990-2017.

RESULTS

Worldwide, the number of deaths from FBC increased from 344.9 thousand in 1990 to 600.7 thousand in 2017. The ASMR of FBC decreased by 0.59% (95% CI, 0.52, 0.66%) per year during the study period. This decrease was largely driven by the reduction in alcohol use- and tobacco-related FBC, of which the ASMR was decreased by 1.73 and 1.77% per year, respectively. In contrast, the ASMR of FBC attributable to high BMI and high FPG was increased by 1.26% (95% CI, 1.22, 1.30%) and 0.26% (95% CI, 0.23, 0.30%) per year between 1990 and 2017, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The mortality rate of FBC experienced a reduction over the last three decades, which was partly owing to the effective control for alcohol and tobacco use. However, more potent and tailored prevention strategies for obesity and diabetes are urgently warranted.

NAFLD: a multi-faceted morbid spectrum with uncertain diagnosis and complicated management. Where do we stand? Review of the literature

NASH can be considered the "contemporary era pandemic", because of its global widespread in parallel with obesity, diabetes and metabolic dysfunction. It is a disease that often poses many difficulties, since making a early diagnosis is often impossible since specific diagnostic tests and criteria are missing: so, it needs a high degree of suspicion. Most of the times the evolution to its more severe and terminal step, NASH cirrhosis, is unavoidable and so are the social pressure on health sistem and economic consequences it brings back. In this work we aim to review the literature about both NAFLD and NASH, thus structuring a wide, comprehensive, 360 degree work with a focus on all major aspects of NAFLD, spanning from diagnosis, physiopathology and its repercussions on liver transplantation. Moreover we also focused on patients related issues both in pre- and post-transplant management (when these patients are listed for liver transplant). NAFLD and NASH are a contemporary plague, and an exaustive knowledge of the problem throughout all its aspects is necessary in order to lower economic weight that metabolic issues bring back and to have a open view to possible solutions to all management issues that NASH patients have and that are oten prohibitive to a definitive cure (for example cardiovascular risk in patients otherwise eligible to liver transplantation). We aim to offer a complete view on the actual knowledge about NAFLD and NASH, by an extensive review of the literature.

Evaluation and management of extrahepatic manifestations of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a multisystemic disease and a rapidly growing cause of chronic liver disease in children and adults worldwide. Diagnosis and management of extrahepatic manifestations of NAFLD, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, chronic kidney disease, obstructive sleep apnea, polycystic ovarian syndrome, hypothyroidism, psoriasis, and extrahepatic malignancy are crucial for the treatment of patients with NAFLD. The leading cause of death in NAFLD is primarily from CVD, followed by liver-related mortality, extrahepatic cancer, liver cancer, and diabetes-related mortality. Therefore, clinicians need to identify high-risk patients earlier in the disease course and be aware of the extrahepatic manifestations of NAFLD to improve liver disease outcomes. In this review, we focus on the monitoring and management of the extrahepatic manifestations of NAFLD.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and risk of prostatic diseases: Roles of insulin resistance

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the liver component of metabolic syndrome, is considered to be associated with high risk of prostatic diseases but a systematic review has not been conducted. Under a comprehensive review of the eligible clinical studies, a potential positive association between NAFLD and benign prostatic hyperplasia/prostate cancer (BPH/PCa) has been postulated. Insulin resistance and metabolic aberrations are considered to be the potential mechanism for such association. However, the relationship between NAFLD and other prostatic diseases, that is, prostatic inflammation and lower urinary tract symptoms, seems vague due to limited relevant studies in the literatures. The present review highlights that clinicians should be conscious of the detrimental effect of NAFLD on the development of BPH and PCa.

Recent Epidemiology of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

The ongoing obesity epidemic and the increasing recognition of metabolic syndrome have contributed to the growing prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the most common form of liver disease worldwide. It is imperative to understand the incidence and prevalence of NAFLD as it is associated with a profound economic burden of hospitalizations, including the shifting trends in liver transplantation. The long-term cumulative healthcare cost of NAFLD patients has been shown to be 80% higher than that of non-NAFLD patients. We explore diagnostic challenges in identifying those with NAFLD who have a higher predilection to progress to end-stage liver disease. We aim to assess all-cause and cause-specific mortality as it relates to NAFLD.

Natural History of NAFLD

The epidemiology and the current burden of chronic liver disease are changing globally, with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) becoming the most frequent cause of liver disease in close relationship with the global epidemics of obesity, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. The clinical phenotypes of NAFLD are very heterogeneous in relationship with multiple pathways involved in the disease progression. In the absence of a specific treatment for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), it is important to understand the natural history of the disease, to identify and to optimize the control of factors that are involved in disease progression. In this paper we propose a critical analysis of factors that are involved in the progression of the liver damage and the occurrence of extra-hepatic complications (cardiovascular diseases, extra hepatic cancer) in patients with NAFLD. We also briefly discuss the impact of the heterogeneity of the clinical phenotype of NAFLD on the clinical practice globally and at the individual level.

Dehydroabietic acid improves nonalcoholic fatty liver disease through activating the Keap1/Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway to reduce ferroptosis

The accumulation of iron-dependent lipid peroxides is one of the important causes of NAFLD. The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of dehydroabietic acid (DA) on ferroptosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) mice and its possible mechanisms. DA improved NAFLD and reduced triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and lipid peroxidation level and inhibited ferroptosis in the liver of HFD-induced mice. DA binds with Keap1 to form 3 stable hydrogen bonds at VAL512 and LEU557 and increased nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-antioxidant response elemen (ARE) luciferase activity. DA promoted the expression downstream of Nrf2 such as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), glutathione (GSH) and its peroxidase 4 (GPX4), so as to eliminate the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reduce lipid peroxides malondialdehyde (MDA) in the liver. DA inhibited ferroptosis and increased the expression of key genes such as ferroptosis suppressor protein 1 (FSP1) in vitro and vivo. In all, DA may bind with Keap1, activate Nrf2-ARE, induce its target gene expression, inhibit ROS accumulation and lipid peroxidation, and reduce HFD-induced NAFLD.

Transplant of Elderly Patients: Is There an Upper Age Cutoff?

Increased life expectancy and advances in the care of chronic liver disease has increased the number of elderly patients needing liver transplant. Organ donation policies prioritize transplant to the sickest. There is an ongoing debate with regard to balancing the principles of equity and utility. Several hospitals have adopted center-specific policies and there has been an increased trend of transplant in elderly patients since 2002. Appropriate patient selection and long-term outcomes in the setting of limited organ availability pose several challenges. This article reviews the data and discusses the pros and cons of transplants in the elderly.

AGA Clinical Practice Update on Lifestyle Modification Using Diet and Exercise to Achieve Weight Loss in the Management of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Expert Review

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a leading cause of chronic liver disease, with global public health impact affecting more than 25% of the global population. NAFLD is associated with significant morbidity and mortality from cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, solid organ malignancies, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and obstructive sleep apnea, resulting in significant health care resource use and decreased health-related quality of life. NAFLD cirrhosis is a leading indication for liver transplantation in the United States. Lifestyle modification to achieve weight loss remains a first-line intervention in patients with NAFLD. We summarize evidence-based interventions for lifestyle modification in the treatment of NAFLD and provided best practice advice statements to address key issues in clinical management.

Management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a very common medical condition, driven by a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors, ultimately producing a severe chronic liver disease and increased cardiovascular risk. Most people are asymptomatic for a long time, and their daily life is unaffected, leading to difficulty in identifying and managing people who slowly progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), NASH-cirrhosis, and eventually hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite advances in the understanding of pathogenic mechanisms and the identification of liver fibrosis as the strongest factor in predicting disease progression, no specific treatments have been approved by regulatory agencies. Outside controlled trials, treatment is generally limited to lifestyle intervention aimed at weight loss. Pioglitazone remains the drug of choice to reduce progression of fibrosis in people with diabetes, although it is often used off-label in the absence of diabetes. Vitamin E is mainly used in children and may be considered in adults without diabetes. Several drugs are under investigation according to the agreed targets of reduced NASH activity without worsening of fibrosis or improving fibrosis without worsening of NASH. Anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic agents and metabolism modulators have been tested in either phase III or phase IIb randomized controlled trials; a few failed, and others have produced marginally positive results, but only a few are being tested in extension studies. The development of non-invasive, easily repeatable surrogate biomarkers and/or imaging tools is crucial to facilitate clinical studies and limit liver biopsy.

Organ-organ communication: The liver's perspective

Communication between organs participates in most physiological and pathological events. Owing to the importance of precise coordination among the liver and virtually all organs in the body for the maintenance of homeostasis, many hepatic disorders originate from impaired organ-organ communication, resulting in concomitant pathological phenotypes of distant organs. Hepatokines are proteins that are predominantly secreted from the liver, and many hepatokines and several signaling proteins have been linked to diseases of other organs, such as the heart, muscle, bone, and eyes. Although liver-centered interorgan communication has been proposed in both basic and clinical studies, to date, the regulatory mechanisms of hepatokine production, secretion, and reciprocation with signaling factors from other organs are obscure. Whether other hormones and cytokines are involved in such communication also warrants investigation. Herein, we summarize the current knowledge of organ-organ communication phenotypes in a variety of diseases and the possible involvement of hepatokines and/or other important signaling factors. This provides novel insight into the underlying roles and mechanisms of liver-originated signal transduction and, more importantly, the understanding of disease in an integrative view.

Distinct Cause of Death Profiles of Hospitalized Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A 10 Years' Cross-Sectional Multicenter Study in China

Background: The clinical burden and natural history of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) vary globally. We aimed to investigate NAFLD-related mortality profiles in hospitalized patients in southern China.

Methods: A multicenter retrospective investigation with a 10-year study period (2009–2018) analyzed 10,071 deaths during hospitalization (NAFLD: 2,015; other liver diseases: 1,140; without liver diseases: 6,916) was performed using a multiple cause of death analysis. Medical histories and biochemistry and imaging findings were extracted from the electronic medical record system. The underlying causes of death were classified by 10th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) codes.

Results: The distribution of death causes in patients with NAFLD has stabilized over time, with cardio- and cerebral vascular disease (CVD) ranked first (35.6%), followed by extrahepatic malignancies (22.6%), infection (11.0%), kidney disease (7.5%), liver-related diseases (5.2%), respiratory diseases (3.9%), digestive diseases (3.5%), endocrine diseases (3.5%), and other diseases (7.2%). NAFLD patients had more deaths attributable to CVD, extrahepatic malignancies, liver-related diseases (all P < 0.001) and multiorgan failure than the deceased controls. The severity of steatosis was independently associated with these relationships (liver-related diseases: OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.20–1.59, cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases: OR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.19–1.31, infectious diseases: OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.04–1.26, and renal diseases: OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.02–1.47, all P < 0.05) after adjustment for sex, body mass index (BMI), fasting blood glucose, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, uric acid, metabolic syndromes and fibrosis index based on the 4 factors.

Conclusion : NAFLD patients had higher proportions of death due to underlying CVD and liver-related diseases than the general population in China; these proportions positively correlated with steatosis degree.

Red Blood Cell Count: An Unrecognized Risk Factor for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

OBJECTIVE

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming a global public health challenge. A convenient NAFLD indicator will greatly facilitate risk appraisal and prevention. As a readily available and inexpensive hematological index in routine clinical examinations, red blood cells (RBCs) are gaining increasing attention in many diseases, such as metabolic syndrome, but their association with NAFLD is unknown.

METHODS

This health management cohort study included 27,112 subjects (17,383 non-NAFLD and 9,729 NAFLD) with up to 5 years of follow-up (median 2.8 years). NAFLD was diagnosed by ultrasonography. NAFLD severity was categorized as mild, moderate, or severe. The generalized estimation equation (GEE), an extension of generalized linear models that allows for analysis of repeated measurements, was used to analyze the association between RBC count and NAFLD.

RESULTS

Overall, 4,332 of 17,383 (24.9%) subjects without NAFLD at baseline developed NAFLD. Incident NAFLD risk was positively associated with RBC count. After adjustment for hemoglobin and other confounders, the risk of incident NAFLD was 21%, 32%, and 51% higher in the second, third, and fourth RBC count quartiles, respectively, than in the lowest quartile. In 1,798 of 9,476 (19.0%) subjects with NAFLD at baseline, the severity of NAFLD increased. NAFLD progression risk increased progressively as RBC count increased (P for trend < 0.001). Every one-unit (10¹² cells/L) increase in RBC count was associated with a 53% [OR 1.53 (95% CI 1.32-1.77)] increased risk for NAFLD progression.

CONCLUSIONS

Elevated RBC count was independently associated with a high risk of NAFLD incidence and progression. This finding revealed a convenient NAFLD risk indicator.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and sarcopenia: pathophysiological connections and therapeutic implications

INTRODUCTION

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is currently one of the most common liver diseases worldwide. Recent data suggest that loss of skeletal muscle mass and function (i.e. sarcopenia) is highly prevalent and frequently overlooked in NAFLD patients. Experimental and clinical data suggest that the relationship between NAFLD and sarcopenia is pathophysiologically complex and bi-directional and there is a growing interest in unveiling how sarcopenia could influence NAFLD development and progression.

AREAS COVERED

PubMed/MEDLINE was searched for articles related to concomitant occurrence of NAFLD and sarcopenia between January 2013 and April 2020. Areas covered in this review include: (1) updated sarcopenia diagnosis strategy, (2) discussion of current data on pathophysiological connections between NAFLD and sarcopenia, and (3) analysis of current and future therapeutic implications of this knowledge.

EXPERT OPINION

Clinical studies describe a consistent association between NAFLD and sarcopenia, although a cause-effect relation remains to be determined. Active implementation of current diagnosis algorithms and optimized treatment can prevent sarcopenia related complications in subjects with NAFLD. Pathogenic pathways implicated in this relation are multiple and complex, a better understanding of them can provide novel biomarkers and targeted therapies that will hopefully have an important impact in NAFLD management.

Complications of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Extrahepatic Organs

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is now recognized as the most common chronic liver disease worldwide, along with the concurrent epidemics of metabolic syndrome and obesity. Patients with NAFLD have increased risks of end-stage liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver-related mortality. However, the largest cause of death among patients with NAFLD is cardiovascular disease followed by extrahepatic malignancies, whereas liver-related mortality is only the third cause of death. Extrahepatic complications of NAFLD include chronic kidney disease, extrahepatic malignancies (such as colorectal cancer), psychological dysfunction, gastroesophageal reflux disease, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, periodontitis, hypothyroidism, growth hormone deficiency, and polycystic ovarian syndrome. The objective of this narrative review was to summarize recent evidences about extrahepatic complications of NAFLD, with focus on the prevalent/incident risk of such diseases in patients with NAFLD. To date, an appropriate screening method for extrahepatic complications has not yet been determined. Collaborative care with respective experts seems to be necessary for patient management because extrahepatic complications can occur across multiple organs. Further studies are needed to reveal risk profiles at baseline and to determine an appropriate screening method for extrahepatic diseases.

Mechanisms, screening modalities and treatment options for individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) exists as a spectrum of disease ranging from excessive accumulation of fat within the liver (simple steatosis), inflammation (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis) through to fibrosis, cirrhosis and end-stage liver disease. There is also an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. The principal risk factor for NAFLD is overweight or obesity, along with type 2 diabetes, and NAFLD itself is also a risk factor for incident type 2 diabetes. Overweight/obesity is synergistic with alcohol consumption in causing progressive and insidious liver damage. Recent consensus advocates a change in nomenclature from NAFLD to 'metabolic associated fatty liver disease' (MAFLD), reflective of the associated metabolic abnormalities (insulin resistance/type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome components). Additional extra-hepatic manifestations of NAFLD include cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and certain cancers. Unlike other micro- and macrovascular complications of type 2 diabetes, systematic screening or surveillance protocols have not been widely adopted in routine diabetes care to assess for presence/severity of NAFLD. Various screening tools are available (non-invasive tests and biochemical indices) combined with imaging techniques (e.g. transient elastography) to detect steatosis and more importantly advanced fibrosis/cirrhosis to facilitate appropriate surveillance. Liver biopsy may be sometimes necessary. Treatment options for type 2 diabetes, including lifestyle interventions (dietary change and physical activity), glucose-lowering therapies and metabolic surgery, can modulate hepatic steatosis and to a lesser extent fibrosis. Awareness of the impact of liver disease on the choice of glucose-lowering medications in individuals with type 2 diabetes is also critical.

Tumor Incidence in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

BACKGROUND

The incidence of cancer is increasing worldwide. The role of comorbidities in this development is debated. The aim of this study was to investigate the significance of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) for the incidence of cancer of various kinds in Germany.

METHODS

Between 2000 and 2015, data on 31 587 patients with established NAFLD were collected for analysis. A control group (n = 31 587) assembled for comparison was matched for sex, age, treating physician, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI).

RESULTS

By 10 years after the index date, 15.3% of patients with NAFLD and 13.4% of patients in the control group had been diagnosed with cancer (p <0.001). Patients with NAFLD exhibited significantly higher rates of male genital cancers (HR 1.26; 95% confidence interval [1.06; 1.5]; p = 0.008), skin cancer (HR 1.22 [1.07; 1.38]; p = 0.002) and breast cancer (HR 1.2 [1.01; 1.43]; p = 0.036). In this analysis, the rate of hepatocellular carcinoma did not differ between patients with NAFLD and patients without NAFLD (0.19% vs. 0.12%; p = 0.204).

CONCLUSION

NAFLD slightly increases the risk of breast cancer in women, genital cancer in men, and skin cancer irrespective of sex. Thus, NAFLD can be considered a marker of increased cancer risk.

NAFLD and liver transplantation: Disease burden, current management and future challenges

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), specifically its progressive form non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), represents the fastest growing indication for liver transplantation in Western countries. Diabetes mellitus, morbid obesity and cardiovascular disease are frequently present in patients with NAFLD who are candidates for liver transplantation. These factors require specific evaluation, including a detailed pre-surgical risk stratification, in order to improve outcomes after liver transplantation. Moreover, in the post-transplantation setting, the incidence of cardiovascular events and metabolic complications can be amplified by immunosuppressive therapy, which is a well-known driver of metabolic alterations. Indeed, patients with NASH are more prone to developing early post-transplant complications and, in the long-term, de novo malignancy and cardiovascular events, corresponding to higher mortality rates. Therefore, a tailored multidisciplinary approach is required for these patients, both before and after liver transplantation. Appropriate candidate selection, lifestyle modifications and specific assessment in the pre-transplant setting, as well as pharmacological strategies, adjustment of immunosuppression and a healthy lifestyle in the post-transplant setting, play a key role in correct management.