Prevalence of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients

Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) refers to a spectrum of disease characterized by the presence of more than 5% of steatosis in hepatocytes of individuals who consume little or no alcohol. It ranges from simple steatosis without evidence of inflammation, to the association of steatosis and inflammation with cellular necrosis, the so-called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NAFLD has become increasingly common in developed countries affecting up to 38% of the population. It is mostly but not exclusively associated with metabolic syndrome including obesity, insulin resistance, and hypertension. There is growing evidence of a close interaction between the gut and the liver "Gut-liver axis", particularly in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. The pathophysiological mechanism behind this association is not well understood but involves small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), intestina