The Progression of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease…and How You CAN Stop It

Chelsey McShane, MD and Na Li, MD, PhD
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

This presentation is an excerpt from the ALF 2021 Poster Competition. This competition showcases posters and a brief video created by early career investigators from across the country on six areas of educational focus: fatty liver disease, liver cancer, liver transplantation, pediatric liver disease, rare liver disease and viral hepatitis. Participants are tasked with translating complicated medical information into a poster which can be easily understood by patients or the public. Posters are reviewed by a formal panel of judges comprised of Medical Advisory Council members, Board Members and friends of ALF to select a winner in each category.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition in which there is an excessive amount of fat that accumulates in the liver. It is important to know about because it can progress to cirrhosis of the liver, which has serious health consequences. NAFLD encompasses nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NASH can progress to liver cirrhosis, which is advanced scarring resulting in abnormal liver function. Liver cirrhosis has many possible complications including bleeding; infection; heart, lung, and kidney problems; and liver cancer. Fortunately, NALFD can be reversed if it is diagnosed in its early stages and lifestyle changes are made.