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Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

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Sex/Gender-Specific Medicine in the Gastrointestinal Diseases

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Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by excessive lipid accumulation in the liver in the absence of significant alcohol consumption. The alarming rise in the prevalence of NAFLD worldwide is attributed to the increased population of obese and diabetic people. Prevalence of NAFLD is higher in men than in women and tends to increase in women after menopause. NAFLD is associated with the development of breast cancer in women. Menopausal status should be considered when evaluating the risk of NAFLD in women, as well as additional reproductive risk factors such as age at menarche, presence of polycystic ovary syndrome, and gestational diabetes. Central fat distribution and sarcopenia are directly associated with the risk of metabolic disorders and NAFLD. Sex hormones are one of the strongest determinants associated with the development of NAFLD in women. In terms of treatments for NAFLD, no gender-based principles have been proposed so far. Clinical trials should evaluate and report study outcomes in female participants and also consider therapeutic targets that uniquely contribute to NAFLD progression in women.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Guri, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea

    Jihyun An

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  1. Jihyun An
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  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea (Republic of)

    Nayoung Kim

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An, J. (2022). Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. In: Kim, N. (eds) Sex/Gender-Specific Medicine in the Gastrointestinal Diseases. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0120-1_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0120-1_13

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