Venniyoor A, Al Farsi AA, Al Bahrani B. The Troubling Link Between Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Extrahepatic Cancers (EHC).
Cureus 2021;
13:e17320. [PMID:
34557366 PMCID:
PMC8449927 DOI:
10.7759/cureus.17320]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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