Spearman C Wendy, Afihene Mary, Betiku Omolade, Bobat Bilal, Cunha Lina, Kassianides Chris, Katsidzira Leolin, Mekonnen Hailemichael D, Ocama Ponsiano, Ojo Olusegun, Paruk Imran, Tzeuton Christian, Sonderup Mark W
Division of Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Department of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2021 Dec;6(12):1036-1046. doi: 10.1016/S2468-1253(21)00275-2. Epub 2021 Sep 9.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the leading cause of chronic liver disease globally and is estimated to affect approximately 25% of the world's population. Data about the prevalence and incidence of NAFLD in Africa are scarce, but the prevalence is estimated to be 13·5% for the general population. This is likely to be an underestimate considering the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases, particularly the rising prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes, driven by the overlapping challenges of food insecurity, nutritional transition, and associated increased consumption of calorie-dense foods. Establishing the true prevalence of NAFLD, raising public awareness around the risk factors behind the increase in NAFLD, and proactively addressing all components of metabolic syndrome will be important to combat this silent epidemic, which will have long-term health-care costs and economic consequences for the region.
非酒精性脂肪性肝病（NAFLD）是全球慢性肝病的主要病因，估计影响全球约25%的人口。非洲关于NAFLD患病率和发病率的数据稀缺，但普通人群的患病率估计为13.5%。考虑到非传染性疾病负担的增加，尤其是肥胖症和2型糖尿病患病率的上升，这很可能被低估了，这些疾病是由粮食不安全、营养转型以及高热量食品消费增加等多重挑战驱动的。确定NAFLD的真实患病率，提高公众对NAFLD增加背后风险因素的认识，并积极应对代谢综合征的所有组成部分，对于抗击这一无声的流行病至关重要，这将给该地区带来长期的医疗保健成本和经济后果。
