Pharmacological approaches for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Abstract

Background and aims: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFDL) is a multifactorial condition with a wide spectrum of histological severities, from asymptomatic hepatic steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with or without fibrosis. NAFLD is highly common and potentially serious in children and adolescents and affects approximately one third of the general population. It is closely associated with obesity, insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. NASH is a histological diagnosis and has a great significance because it can progress to cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and is associated with both increased cardiovascular and liver related mortality. The purpose of this review is to summarize the evidence for current potential therapies of NAFLD. Material and Methods: We searched MEDLINE from 2010 to the present to identify the pharmacological approaches for NAFLD. Results and conclusions: NAFLD may be a new risk factor for extrahepatic diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), colorectal cancer, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and osteoporosis. Currently there is no specific targeted treatment for NAFLD/NASH.