Non Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) is a type of fatty liver disease, characterized by inflammation of the liver with concurrent fat accumulation in liver. Mere deposition of fat in the liver is termed steatosis, and together these constitute fatty liver changes.
There are two main types of fatty liver disease: alcohol-related fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Risk factors for NAFLD include diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome. When inflammation is present it is referred to as alcoholic steatohepatitis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Steatohepatitis of either cause may progress to cirrhosis, and NASH is now believed to be a frequent cause of unexplained cirrhosis (at least in Western societies). NASH is also associated with lysosomal acid lipase deficiency.
This video is fairly technical, but well worth the time to watch. Dr. Stephen Harrison, Hepatologist and international opinion leader in fatty liver disease and NASH, discusses the evolving landscape of fatty liver disease in the United States as well as diagnostic approaches to identify patients at risk for this disease.
NASH is inflammatory but, what is inflammation? Click this link for a short video explanation
What are the symptoms of NASH?
