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Although nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common chronic liver disorders, its natural history has been unclear. In this cohort study from Sweden, investigators describe the long-term outcome of patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD.
In 212 consecutive patients who were referred from 1988 through 1993 for work-up of chronically elevated liver enzymes, 129 were diagnosed with biopsy-proven NAFLD. Thorough baseline information was available through a national registry. Survival and causes of death in these patients were compared with the same outcomes in an age- and sex-matched Swedish reference population.
The mean follow-up was 13.7 years (±1.3 years) from the time of NAFLD diagnosis. At baseline, 71 (55%) patients had n…