Loading...
Given the growing importance of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its inflammatory manifestation (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis [NASH]), the U.S. National Institutes of Health established the NASH Clinical Research Network in 2002. In a new prospective study from this group, researchers describe outcomes for 1773 adults with biopsy-proven NAFLD who have been followed an average of 4 years. At baseline, 25% of patients had fatty liver only (i.e., NAFLD without NASH), and 75% had borderline or definite NASH. During follow-up, mortality and incidence of hepatic decompensation events — ascites, encephalopathy, or variceal bleeding — were progressively higher across fibrosis stage at baseline, going from stage 0 (no fibrosis) to stage …