Research Article Details
Article ID: | A18088 |
PMID: | 29201749 |
Source: | Euroasian J Hepatogastroenterol |
Title: | Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in South Asia. |
Abstract: | Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease in the West, and is also increasing alarmingly in South Asia, reaching an epidemic proportion of 30% because of epidemic of obesity and metabolic syndrome (MS) in younger South Asians in the last two decades. Prevalence of MS and fatty liver is escalating in geometric progression in South Asian countries, such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, and Maldives because of sedentary lifestyle, poor health awareness, socioeconomic growth, affluence, urbanization, and dietary westernization. Almost 20% of world's population resides in South Asia, making it the most populous and most densely populated geographic region in the world, thereby having most of MS and NAFLD cases within its territory. The risk factors and course of NAFLD do not differ between South Asians and other ethnic populations, but the obesity epidemic is more recent in South Asia than elsewhere in the world. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease may progress through stages of simple bland steatosis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis, and finally hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It is frequently associated with obesity, MS, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance (IR), and type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is frequently diagnosed with abdominal ultrasonography (US) study. Despite its high prevalence in the community till now, no definitive pharmacotherapy is available for NAFLD. However, modification of risk factors, such as dyslipidemia, control of diabetes, and weight reduction do help to some extent. The nonobese South Asians are also at increased risk of having NAFLD and NASH as, despite of absence of frank obesity in South Asians, they are metabolically more obese compared to other ethnic population and more prone to develop NAFLD-related complications. Therefore, the cost-effective US abdomen should be included in the list of tests for persons undergoing preemployment or master health checkups for early diagnosis of NAFLD in this resource-constraint South Asian region, so that early necessary measures can be undertaken to reduce NAFLD associated morbidity and mortality in the community. How to cite this article: Pati GK, Singh SP. Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in South Asia. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2016;6(2):154-162. |
DOI: | 10.5005/jp-journals-10018-1189 |

Strategy ID | Therapy Strategy | Synonyms | Therapy Targets | Therapy Drugs | |
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S01 | Improve insulin resistance | insulin sensitizer; insulin resistance; glucose tolerance | Biguanide: increases 5-AMP activated protein kinase signaling; SGLT-2 inhibitor; Thiazalidinedione: selective PPAR-γ agonists; GLP-1 agonist | Metformin; Empagliflozin; Canagliflozin; Rosiglitazone; Pioglitazone; Liraglutide | Details |
S03 | Anti-fibrosis | fibrosis | Angiotensin Receptor Blocker (ARB); CCR2/CCR5 antagonist; Thyroid receptor β agonist; PEGylated human FGF21 analogue; Monoclonal antibody to lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2); Galectin-3 inhibitor; FGF19 variant | Losartan; Cenicriviroc; VK-2809; MGL-3196; Pegbelfermin; Simtuzumab; GR-MD-02; NGM282 | Details |
Target ID | Target Name | GENE | Action | Class | UniProtKB ID | Entry Name |
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Diseases ID | DO ID | Disease Name | Definition | Class | |
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I13 | 3146 | Lipid metabolism disorder | An inherited metabolic disorder that involves the creation and degradation of lipids. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipid_metabolism | disease of metabolism/ inherited metabolic disorder | Details |
I05 | 9352 | Type 2 diabetes mellitus | A diabetes that is characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia with disturbances of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. A diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus_type_2 | disease of metabolism/inherited metabolic disorder/ carbohydrate metabolic disorder/glucose metabolism disease/diabetes/ diabetes mellitus | Details |
I14 | 9970 | Obesity | An overnutrition that is characterized by excess body fat, traditionally defined as an elevated ratio of weight to height (specifically 30 kilograms per meter squared), has_material_basis_in a multifactorial etiology related to excess nutrition intake, decreased caloric utilization, and genetic susceptibility, and possibly medications and certain disorders of metabolism, endocrine function, and mental illness. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity | disease of metabolism/acquired metabolic disease/ nutrition disease/overnutrition | Details |
Drug ID | Drug Name | Type | DrugBank ID | Targets | Category | Latest Progress | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D579 | Emfilermin | Miscellany | -- | adipocytes | Enhance lipid metabolism | Under investigation | Details |
D080 | Citrulline | Chemical drug | DB00155 | -- | -- | Under clinical trials | Details |
D182 | Insulin | Biological drug | DB00030 | INSR agonist; CPE modulator&product of | -- | Under clinical trials | Details |
D094 | Cysteamine | Chemical drug | DB00847 | GSS stimulant | Renal drug | Under clinical trials | Details |
D095 | Cysteamine bitartrate | Chemical drug | DB00847 | -- | -- | Under clinical trials | Details |