Abstract
Non-alcoholic Fatty liver disease" - NAFLD or according to the newer nomenclature "Metabolic Dysfunction - Associated Steatotic Liver Disease" - MASLD is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide and includes a wide spectrum of pathological conditions from simple hepatic steatosis through inflammatory changes of the liver parenchyma (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis - NASH), varying degrees of liver fibrosis, up to liver cirrhosis. Today, NAFLD/MASLD is considered a part or a direct hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome.
The basic mechanism linking the metabolic syndrome and NAFLD/MASLD is the imbalance between energy intake and expenditure leading to the accumulation of fat not only in adipose tissue, but also in organs that are not intended for this (liver, muscles, omentum, pancreas).