Towards the epidemiology of fatty liver disease associated with metabolic dysfunction (systematic literature review)
Abstract
A group of pathological lesions of the liver parenchyma, united by steatic changes in hepatocytes, but not associated with alcohol abuse, is defined in medical practice as “non-alcoholic fatty liver disease”. The heterogeneity of pathologically excessive accumulation of fat in liver cells, the long asymptomatic course of the disease and the ambiguity of terminology create conditions that complicate the timely diagnosis of changes in hepatocytes and reduce the objectivity of statistical indicators of the prevalence of the disease. Expanding understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of excess macrovesicular fat accumulation in hepatocytes allowed specialists in 2020 to change the definition of “non-alcoholic fatty liver disease” to a term that better reflects the essence of the pathological changes — “fatty liver disease associated with metabolic dysfunction”. Numerous studies have noted an increase in the burden of pathology and the expansion of the geography of its diagnosis, which has increased interest in studying the frequency of occurrence of the disease in different age groups. This article presents the results of a systematic analysis of publications for the period 2016–2025 devoted to the study of the prevalence of steatotic changes in the liver in adult patients, children and adolescents living in different countries of the world. The authors predict an increase in the incidence of fatty liver disease in the coming decades: by 2040, “fatty liver disease associated with metabolic dysfunction” could be diagnosed in more than 55% of adults. The researchers also note a high rate of increase in the disease in pediatric patients.
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