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Prepared during the period from 1990 to 2019, the systematic review entitled Global epidemiology of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) showed that the global prevalence of fatty liver disease is 30% and is increasing. Reducing the number of cases requires adopting “urgent and comprehensive” strategies, as scholars have highlighted.
In the investigation, the researchers highlighted that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is “more common” in South America/Photo: Reproduction
In the investigation, the researchers highlighted that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is “more common” in South America. Another topic highlighted in the study published by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases is that hepatic steatosis — a condition popularly known as fatty liver — was initially seen as a “Western disease”.
“Data from Latin America suggest that the risks of adverse outcomes related to NAFLD may be partially explained by excessive consumption of foods high in sugar,” they reported in the systematic review.
Doctor’s point of view
Given the numbers, the Claudia Meireles column spoke with doctor Rodrigo Rêgo Bastos to find out: why has fatty liver become “common” in South America, which includes Brazil? According to the hepatologist, the answer involves “several genetic, cultural, socioeconomic and other factors.”
Regarding the cultural topic, the gastroenterologist also highlights that South America “has suffered, in recent decades, a great North American influence, with an increase in the consumption of ultra-processed foods, fructose and trans fat”. “These foods are highly associated with the development of fat in the liver”, he points out.
The doctor details the socioeconomic issue, which also “weighs”: “It is not cheap to be healthy. Both due to the high prices of healthy products, as well as the precarious access to information, physical activity and health professionals”. Rodrigo argues that hepatic steatosis tends to be a “common problem in the less well-off population, which corresponds to the largest portion of South America.”
According to the hepatologist, other factors that may justify the incidence of the disease in South America: “These would be the high prevalence of diabetes, directly related to the risk of developing hepatic steatosis; and the still high prevalence of hepatitis C, which is a cause of fatty liver unrelated to habits.”
Topics Emphasized by Research
In the study, the researchers emphasize: “It is important to remember that although the burden of NAFLD disease is increasing in most regions, interventions to address this growing burden (Mediterranean diet, weight loss, exercise and awareness) may vary by region, requiring specific policies and strategies for each region.”
For scholars of the systematic review entitled Global epidemiology of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fatty liver disease needs to be considered a “global health problem” and deserves the attention of the World Health Organization (WHO) to address this growing issue around the world.
Metropolises
