Yassah Nupolu Lavelah

A Review of Existing Literature on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) among Asian Americans

Lin Zhu, PhD; ^1,2 Yassah Nupolu Lavelah, BS;¹ Yin Tan, MD, MPH;¹ Grace X. Ma, PhD ^1,2

¹ Center for Asian Health, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
² Department of Urban Health and Population Science, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects about 25% of the general population in the US. Although epidemiology of NAFLD is well studied in the US, the scientific understanding of how this disease affect Asian Americans is very limited. Given that NAFLD is strongly increases the risks of liver cancer, a condition that disproportionally affect Asian Americans, it is critical that we better understand the burden of NAFLD in this population.

Methods: In this study we conducted a review of previous studies on NAFLD in Asian Americans and in Asia/Pacific regions. We focused on three aspects: (1) the prevalence and incidence rates of NALFD in the target populations; (2) the risk factors and protective factors of NAFLD; (3) the knowledge/awareness of and attitude towards NAFLD and its prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. We also identified limitations in previous studies with regards to study design and methodology.

Findings and Conclusion: We have found that so far there has been there is paucity of data for NAFLD burdens in Asian Americans. The few existing studies estimated the prevalence of NAFLD to be between 18% to 30% in Asian Americans, with higher rates in men than women. Despite inconsistent findings on how prevalence rates compare between Asian Americans and non-Hispanic white, increased evidence points to an elevated risks for advanced NAFLD and worsen outcomes in Asian Americans. We will discuss the implications for the prevention in Asian Americans, as well as linkage to care for early diagnosis and treatment for Asian Americans with NAFLD.