Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is an advanced form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in which excess fat is stored in the liver. This buildup of fat is not caused by alcohol use, which is an important distinction. Persons living with NASH will have the combination of fat in the liver, liver cell damage, and an inflamed liver (hepatitis). NASH is a very serious disease and could lead to the following complications:
- Fibrosis – Liver scarring
- Cirrhosis (stage 4 fibrosis) – Chronic liver damage as a result of liver scarring
- People living with cirrhosis may experience:
- Fatigue, weakness, weight loss, jaundice, gastrointestinal bleeding, and abdominal swelling
- End-stage liver diseases
- People living with NASH-related cirrhosis are at a higher risk for:
- Decompensation – loss of liver function
- Liver failure
- Hepatocellular carcinoma – liver cancer
- Death
- People living with NASH-related cirrhosis are at a higher risk for:
- People living with cirrhosis may experience:
Understanding and identifying the risk factors can help at-risk patients for NASH find the right diagnosis. These risk factors put a person at a greater likelihood for developing NASH:
- Obesity (BMI of 30 or greater)
- Hypertension
- Type 2 diabetes
- Insulin resistance
- High fat content in the blood defined by:
- High levels of triglycerides
- Poor cholesterol levels
- Metabolic syndrome (having any 3 of the following 5 conditions):
- Impaired fasting glucose
- Raised triglyceride level
- Low high-density lipoprotein (HDL)
- Increased waist circumference
- High blood pressure
Join a NASH clinical trial with Preferred Research Partners
If you or a loved one are living with NASH, consider a clinical trial with Preferred Research Partners in Little Rock, Arkansas. Sign up to learn more.
