Costs of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common causes of chronic liver disease in the U.S. and can progress to steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite the relatively high prevalence of NAFLD in the general population (estimated at 17%–33%), little is known about the healthcare utilization and costs associated with the disease.

In this study, investigators evaluated prospective data from 4224 adults (age range, 20–79) who participated in a survey of the general population of West Pomerania, Germany. Their underlying hypothesis was that the presence of NAFLD at baseline (defined as elevated alanine aminotransferase [ALT] levels and the presence of a hyperechogenic pattern consistent with fatty infi…