ABSTRACT
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the leading cause of chronic liver disease in the United States and other Western countries, encompasses a histological spectrum of liver diseases ranging from simple steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which can progress to cirrhosis and liver cancer [1,2]. NAFLD is associated with increased mortality; cardiovascular-, liver-, and cancer-related deaths account for much of this excess mortality [3-5]. The disease is closely associated with obesity and diabetes, and due to their ongoing epidemics, the prevalence of NAFLD is likely to increase over time and continue to become a serious public health burden.
