Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: The Overlooked Complication of Type 2 Diabetes

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common complication of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Most times it is an unrecognized comorbidity to the primary care provider and endocrinologist. Today it is the most common chronic liver disease in developed countries. It is characterized by insulin resistance and hepatic triglyceride accumulation in the absence of co-existing etiologies, such as excessive alcohol consumption, viral hepatitis, medications or other etiologies for hepatic steatosis. Its more severe form of the disease with steatohepatitis (NASH) is associated with hepatocyte injury (necrosis and inflammation) and frequently with fibrosis. Although it appears to be an indolent condition, with few symptoms and often normal plasma aminotransferases, NASH is a leading cause of end-stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and significantly increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and T2DM. The pathogenesis of NASH remains poorly understood, and likely to be multifactorial, but insulin-resistant adipose tissue plays an important role. The natural history of NAFLD is incompletely understood, but risk factors for disease progression include weight gain, obesity and T2DM, as well as the severity of fibrosis stage at diagnosis. Diagnostic algorithms are evolving but we offer an approach that integrates for the non-hepatologist plasma biomarkers, imaging, and the role of liver biopsy for the management of these complex patients. At the present time, early screening -with biomarker panels or a liver ultrasound, ideally with transient elastography- is reserved for high-risk patients (i.e., obese patients with T2DM or elevated plasma AST/ALT levels or evidence of steatosis at a random liver exam) until more accurate non-invasive methods are available. A liver biopsy should be considered on a case-by-case basis, to identify those at risk of NASH-cirrhosis, working in close collaboration with a hepatologist. Treatment should include a comprehensive approach with lifestyle modification and therapeutic agents tested in RCTs, such as vitamin E (in patients without diabetes) or pioglitazone for patients with or without diabetes. Pioglitazone, given its low-cost as a generic medication, long-standing track record of efficacy in NASH, and cardiometabolic benefits, is likely to be for NASH what metformin has become for the management of T2DM. However, proper patient selection and close monitoring is needed. In addition, a number of new pharmacological agents are being studied in phase II/III trials and future management will involve the use of combination therapy, as for other chronic metabolic conditions. In summary, endocrinologists need to be aware of the severe metabolic and liver-specific complications of NASH and establish early-on a long-term management plan. Screening will likely take place in the same way as for diabetic retinopathy or nephropathy. A better understanding of its natural history and pathogenesis of NASH, combined with improved diagnostic and treatment options, will likely place endocrinologists at the forefront of the management efforts to prevent end-stage liver disease in patients with NASH. For complete coverage of all related areas of Endocrinology, please visit our on-line FREE web-text, WWW.ENDOTEXT.ORG .