Kaplan, Gilaad GShaheen, Abdel AzizRiazi, Kiarash2023-05-112021-09-10Riazi, K. (2021). Worldwide Prevalence and Incidence of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in the 21st Century: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Master thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca .http://hdl.handle.net/1880/116413https://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/dspace/41257Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is defined as the presence of lipid deposition in more than 5% of hepatocytes, also known as fatty liver, in the absence of any history of excessive alcohol use or secondary causes of fatty liver. NAFLD is the most common liver disorder worldwide and the leading cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality, mainly because of cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease, liver transplant, and an increased incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma.The prevalence of NAFLD is constantly rising. Due to a silent presentation, high prevalence, and the detrimental outcomes associated with it, NAFLD is a major global health problem. Since there are currently no approved treatments for NAFLD, disease prevention is the only available option for reducing the disease burden. Since primary epidemiological data are the crucial cornerstones for every public health and preventive medicine attempt, updated and accurate epidemiological data are of utmost importance. There are currently a few existing research publications on the prevalence and incidence of NAFLD worldwide, which are either outdated, methodologically imperfect, or geographically restricted. Therefore, there is a need to update current data and accurately estimate NAFLD's worldwide prevalence and incidence.We performed a systematic review to identify all the studies reporting on the prevalence or incidence of NAFLD among the general adult population of different world regions over the past two decades. We used a random-effects meta-analysis method to calculate overall or sex-specific pooled prevalence or incidence rates. We also created static and interactive choropleth maps of pooled data to highlight the geographic differences in NAFLD prevalence/incidence.We estimated that the overall prevalence of NAFLD is appreciably higher than what had previously been assessed and is growing at an alarming rate. Furthermore, our findings show that the epidemiological reports regarding NAFLD from many parts of the world are missing. A dramatic rise in prevalence should drive enhanced awareness of NAFLD among primary care physicians, public health specialists, and health policymakers to encourage the development of more effective preventive policies.EnglishHealth And Environmental SciencesHealth Sciences--Medicine and SurgeryHealth Sciences--EpidemiologyHealth Sciences--Public HealthHealth Sciences--Generalmaster thesis