Skeletal muscle mass and sarcopenia in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is currently the leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. One-fourth of the world population may have NAFLD, with higher prevalence in the Middle East and South America (1). In the US population, national estimates have shown that 80 million people were affected in 2015, with the prediction of more than 100 million patients in 2030 (2). In Asia, the prevalence of NAFLD is as high as North America, which is thought to be due to the introduction of the Western diet. NAFLD has wide ranges of disease spectrum from nonalcoholic fatty liver, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and liver fibrosis, which can progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. NAFLD is significantly associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome (1).