The natural history of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: mortality rates and liver enzymes

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as an important health issue of the modern world, due to the dramatic increase in its prevalence, which has doubled and in some regions tripled in the past decade. Epidemiological studies, including national health surveys, are remarkable instruments for indirectly measuring the health status of the general population, as well as providing estimations of the mortality and morbidity associated with major diseases and delineating global risk factors.