LAUSR

We do not exactly know this because the etiopathogenesis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is not completely known. But this progression can slow down by taking certain measures. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is present in 20 to 40% of the general population in developed countries. NAFLD and NASH are the most common chronic liver diseases in the Western coutries [1]. NAFLD is more common in obese and diabetic subjects. Among all subjects with NAFLD, NASH can be seen within a range of 10–20%. The prevalence of NASH in the developed countries is approximately 2–6%. NASH accounts for more than 50% of cryptogenic cirrhosis [2]. NAFLD may progress to NASH with fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Probably 10% of NAFLD patients will progress to NASH over a period of 10 years. Ten percent of NASH patients will progress to liver cirrhosis over a period of 10 years. Ten percent of liver cirrhosis patients will progress to HCC within the same period [51]. NAFLD-related HCC may occur in the absence of cirrhosis [3]. According to the recent publications, most of the patients that have fatty liver disease die from cardiovascular disease but not from liver disease [4]. Even though NAFLD is a growing cause for liver transplantation, HCVis still regarded as the main and the leading cause for liver transplantation [5]. Primary liver cancer is a major contributor to global cancer incidence and mortality. İn worldwide, liver cancer is on the one side the fifth most common cancer and the second most frequent cause of cancer death in men; on the other side, in women, it is the seventh most commonly diagnosed cancer and the sixth leading caused for cancer death [21]. The incidence and prevalence of HCC in NAFLD depend on the stage of underlying fatty liver disease. While the epidemiological data in relation to HCC in viral hepatitis and alcoholic hepatitis are consistent, there is a lack of strong epidemiological data concerning the incidence and prevalence of HCC in NAFLD. A few longitudinal outcome studies explored the prevalence of HCC in NASH, reporting a prevalence varying from 0 to 3% on a follow-up period between 5.6 and 21 years. The percentage was increased if the incidence of HCC in NAFLD cirrhosis was considered, with a cumulative HCC incidence ranging between 2.4% with a median follow-up of 7.2 years and 12.8% with a 3.2year median follow-up [6].