Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a chronic liver disease estimated to affect more than 20 percent of all American adults. It has strong links to diabetes, obesity and insulin resistance and can lead to cirrhosis and liver failure or cancer. Gastroenterologist Sanjay Ramrakhiani, M.D., discusses nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, its symptoms, complications and preventive measures. 

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease presents in a variety of forms and can be diagnosed through diagnostic services, such as through a livery biopsy. Simple steatosis—signs of this often are discovered during routine blood tests—is the most common.  Steatosis refers to the presence of fat deposits within liver cells, which damage the liver. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) causes inflammation and liver scar tissue or fibrosis. NASH-related cirrhosis, the most serious form, can lead to liver failure and require a liver transplant. 

The Sutter Health network of care includes liver specialists with extensive expertise in caring for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The Fatty Liver Clinic at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco is one of eight centers in the U.S. focusing on innovative research in this disease. 

We offer comprehensive disease evaluation and management services, as well as access to clinical trials. We also participate in leading-edge research studies. Current research focuses on treatment with new medications, advanced liver imaging techniques, dietary interventions and genetic and metabolic studies.