Genes and lifestyle: Which of the two is more relevant in driving NAFLD progression?

A wide spectrum of factors conjointly operate in the pathogenesis of NAFLD and in liver disease progression towards advanced liver disease and comorbidities [1]. At one extreme we find genetic factors: they provide mechanism(s) facilitating liver fat accumulation well before birth, as expressed by epigenetic studies [2], and are operative throughout life. In recent years several studies have shown that a lot of gene polymorphisms are associated with an increased risk of NAFLD, variably linked with obesity, with the risk of cardiovascular events, with the risk of progression to hepatocellular cancer [3].
Source: Digestive and Liver Disease - Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Tags: Commentary Source Type: research