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Global Epidemiology of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Perspectives on US Minority Populations

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Abstract

Background

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a clinical syndrome predicted to be the next global epidemic affecting millions of people worldwide. The natural course of this disease including its subtype, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), is not clearly defined especially in the African-American segment of the US population.

Aims

To conduct a review of the global epidemiology of NAFLD with emphasis on US minority populations.

Methods

A thorough search of evidence-based literature was conducted using the Pubmed database and commercial web sources such as Medscape and Google Scholar.

Results

NAFLD and its subtype NASH are becoming the principal cause of chronic liver disease across the world. In the US, Hispanics are the most disproportionately affected ethnic group with hepatic steatosis, and elevated aminotransferase levels, whereas African-Americans are the least affected. Genetic disparities involved in lipid metabolism seem to be the leading explanation for the lowest incidence and prevalence of both NAFLD and NASH in African-Americans.

Conclusions

The unprecedented rise in the prevalence of NAFLD globally requires an initiation of population cohort studies with long-term follow-up to determine the incidence and natural history of NAFLD and its underrepresentation in African-Americans. Future studies should also focus on the delineation of the interplay between genetic and environmental factors that trigger the development of NAFLD and NASH.

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Abbreviations

NCAN :

Neurocan

LYPLAL1 :

Lysophospholipase like 1

GCKR :

Glucokinase regulator

PPP1R3B :

Protein phosphatase 1 regulatory subunit 3B

PNPLA3 :

Patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing 3

TM6SF2 :

Transmembrane 6-superfamily member 2

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health under Grant Award Number 1U01CA185188-01A1 to ZAS and RCMI to HA/HB. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Cancer Institute or the National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Howard University, 520 W Street NW, Washington, DC, 20059, USA

    Zaki A. Sherif

  2. Department of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA

    Shima Ghavimi, Seyed-Mehdi Nouraie, Adeyinka O. Laiyemo & Hassan Ashktorab

  3. Department of Pathology, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA

    Hassan Brim

  4. Cancer Center, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA

    Armana Saeed, Hassan Brim & Hassan Ashktorab

  5. Division of Gastroenterology, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA

    Adeyinka O. Laiyemo

  6. Howard University Hospital, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA

    Shima Ghavimi, Seyed-Mehdi Nouraie, Adeyinka O. Laiyemo & Hassan Ashktorab

  7. College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA

    Zaki A. Sherif & Hassan Brim

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  1. Zaki A. Sherif
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  2. Armana Saeed
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Correspondence to Zaki A. Sherif.

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Sherif, Z.A., Saeed, A., Ghavimi, S. et al. Global Epidemiology of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Perspectives on US Minority Populations. Dig Dis Sci 61, 1214–1225 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-016-4143-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-016-4143-0

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