Prevalence and incidence of intra-and extrahepatic complications of NAFLD in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is linked to abdominal obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The association of NAFLD with T2DM is bidirectional. In fact, evidence suggests that abdominal obesity, T2DM and metabolic syndrome play a part in the development and progression of NAFLD. Alternatively, NAFLD is associated with an increased risk of having T2DM and metabolic syndrome. According to this background, it is unsurprising that patients with T2DM patients also have a higher prevalence of NAFLD than those with no T2DM, as well as an increased risk of developing liver-related and extrahepatic complications, mainly cardiovascular and renal diseases. Seeing the relationship of NAFLD with insulin resistance, obesity and T2DM, recent consensus proposes a change in nomenclature from NAFLD to metabolic associated fatty liver disease. In this review, we will discuss the prevalence and incidence of NAFLD (as detected by imaging techniques or liver biopsy) in patients with type T2DM with particular regard to hepatic and extrahepatic complications.