Economic and Quality-of-Life Implications of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a very common chronic liver disease worldwide, is on the rise following the trend of increasing prevalence of obesity, is the second most common indication for liver transplantation, and is an important cause for hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite the increasing recognition of NAFLD as an important chronic liver disease, little has been published on the economic and health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) impact of NAFLD. We reviewed the current literature related to the economics and HR-QOL of NAFLD and found that increased costs and decreased HR-QOL were associated with NAFLD.