Clinical Characteristics of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Based on Analyses from the Kangbuk Samsung Health Study

Eun-Jung Rhee

doi:10.4093/jkd.2017.18.2.81

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Rhee: Clinical Characteristics of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Based on Analyses from the Kangbuk Samsung Health Study

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J Korean Diabetes 2017;18(2):81-87.

Published online: 10 January 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4093/jkd.2017.18.2.81

Clinical Characteristics of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Based on Analyses from the Kangbuk Samsung Health Study

Eun-Jung Rhee

Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Corresponding author: Eun-Jung Rhee Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 29 Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul 03181, Korea, E-mail: hongsiri@hanmail.net

Received 5 May 2017 Accepted 26 May 2017

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome, indicating that the body can no longer effectively store excess energy in adipose tissue. This phenomenon is called ‘ectopic fat accumulation,’ and the most common ectopic organs in which excess energy can accumulate in the form of triglyceride are the liver, visceral fat and muscle. The prevalence of NAFLD is rapidly increasing in Korean populations and is estimated to reach 30% in adults. NAFLD is one of the strongest risk factors of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and the presence of NAFLD in T2DM patients is known to deteriorate the natural course of diabetic complications. Recent studies suggest that NAFLD is not only a sign of insulin resistance, but also a cardiovascular risk factor. In this review, I discuss the current knowledge regarding the prevalence, risk factors, and consequences of NAFLD based on results published in the Kangbuk Samsung Health Study, which is one of the largest health screening databases in the world.

Keywords: Clinical, Kangbuk Samsung Health Study, Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

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