Could being overweight (not necessarily obese) be considered a risk factor for the NAFLD progression?
The realization that a proportion of patients with NAFLD can progress through NASH and fibrosis to full-blown cirrhosis and HCC has recently focused the attention of the liver-disease scientific community on this condition, previously considered to be benign. Although several studies have been performed on risk factors (presented in a single or combined way) and natural course of NASH, it seems that NASH is inclined to be more than a disease confined to classic boundaries. The objective of a recent study was to assess the clinical features and risk factors for NASH patients in an Iranian population. Fifty three patients (21 female, mean age 37.8 11.3 years) with histologically confirmed NASH entered the study. Twenty-six patients (55.3%) were overweight, 15 (31.9%) obese, 40 (75.5%) dyslipidemic, and three patients (5.7%) were diabetic. Liver histology showed mild steatosis in 35.7%, moderate steatosis in 53.6%, and severe forms in 10.7%. In 80.2% of patients, portal inflammation was p
