Obesity, liver metabolic disorders and cancer

Obesity and the metabolic syndrome (MetS) are major etiological factors leading to hepatic metabolic disorders commonly referred as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). These include hepatic insulin resistance (IR) and steatosis, inflammation (steatohepatitis or NASH) and fibrosis development. Unfortunately, these metabolic disorders may then progress with time towards life-threatening diseases such as hepatic cirrhosis and cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma, HCC). In this regard, obesity and the MetS have reached pandemic proportions and incidences of NAFLD/NASH and HCC are expected to dramatically increase in the future.