Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Its Potential Therapeutic Strategies

Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is diffuse steatosis of hepatocytes and is the most common type of chronic liver disease. The benign and reversible stage of NAFLD is defined as simple fatty liver, which further progresses to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), liver fibrosis, and even liver cancer. It is believed that in the future, NASH would be one of the primary reasons for advanced liver failure and the need for liver transplantation. NAFLD is considered to be closely related to genetics, environment, metabolic diseases, such as obesity and hyperlipidemia. From the macro-level of NAFLD understanding, this chapter systematically analyzes the research progress on the etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and development trends of NAFLD.