Patient's question:
I am a healthy person, and I don't have any bad habits usually. However, during a health check-up, I was carefully examined and found to have fatty liver. I was quite upset because I don't even drink beer. The doctor said this was non-alcoholic fatty liver, so it has nothing to do with whether I drink beer or not.Doctor's answer:
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is believed to be a manifestation of metabolic syndrome in the liver, which includes visceral obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. A small portion of NAFLD patients can progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), although the specific process of this progression is not yet fully understood. Currently, it is believed that NASH is characterized by fat infiltration, hepatocyte injury, inflammation, and fibrosis. This article will provide a review of the pathophysiology and molecular mechanisms of NASH, aiming to provide a basis for clinical diagnosis, confirmation, and treatment.