When the liver gets fatty
There's a fair amount of guesswork to the estimates, but perhaps as many as 40% of American adults have some degree of fatty liver disease, a condition that used to occur almost exclusively in people who drink excessively. The epidemics of obesity and diabetes are to blame. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects between 70% and 90% of people with those conditions. So as obesity and diabetes have become more common, so has fatty liver disease.
To continue reading this article, you must log in.
Subscribe to Harvard Health Online Plus (HHO+) to unlock expert-backed health insights, personalized tools, and exclusive resources to feel your best every day.
Here’s what you get with your HHO+ membership:
- Unlimited access to all Harvard Health Online content
- 4 expertly curated newsletters delivered monthly
- Customized website experience aligned to your health goals
- In-depth health guides on topics like sleep, exercise, and more
- Interactive features like videos and quizzes
- Members-only access to exclusive articles and resources
I’d like to subscribe to HHO+ for $4.99/month to access expert-backed content to help make smart, informed decisions about my well-being.
Sign Me UpAlready a member? Login ».
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.