title: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in Asia: emerging perspectives.
abstract: As in the West, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the commonest chronic liver disease in Asia, with a prevalence higher than 40 % in some countries. The risk factors for NAFLD development are similar to those in Western countries, including increased body mass index, diabetes, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. NAFLD in Asians is associated with different extrahepatic manifestations involving the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and renal systems. A considerable proportion of Asians with NAFLD are described as having "lean" NAFLD. Present in approximately 20 % of the Asian population, lean NAFLD is closely linked with insulin resistance, diabetes, and other metabolic complications, but its association with disease progression to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and cirrhosis remains to be defined. There is emerging evidence of the interactions of NAFLD with hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection in Asia. Unlike in Western countries, NAFLD constitutes only a minority of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma cases in Asia. Possible explanations are the lower prevalence of obesity and the overwhelming problem of viral hepatitis in Asia. With aging of the obesity cohort in Asia, NAFLD-related liver complications are expected to increase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong.|State Key Laboratory for Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Wai-Kay
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Seto
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong. mfyuen@hkucc.hku.hk.|State Key Laboratory for Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong. mfyuen@hkucc.hku.hk.
authors.forename: Man-Fung
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Yuen
mesh_terms: D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Asian; Cirrhosis; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis C virus; Metabolic; Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; Obesity; Steatosis