Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, a common liver disease affecting around one-quarter of the world's general population, has a significant clinical and economic burden, according to a study published in Hepatology.
Researchers constructed models to assess the potential burden of NAFLD in the United States and Europe, in particular. They focused on four European countries — Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom.
There are 64 million individuals with the disease in the United States and 52 million in the European countries included in the study
Here are three insights:
1. Researchers estimated that annual direct medical costs were approximately $103 billion, or $1,163 per patient, in the United States.
2. In the European countries, annual direct medical costs were €35 billion (around $38 billion), from €354 ($388.62) to €1,163 ($1,276.74) per patient.
3. The economic burden of NAFLD would be even higher when including societal costs and indirect costs, the researchers noted.
"Given the growing epidemic of obesity, diabetes and NAFLD, this study brings to the attention of policymakers, providers, pharmaceutical companies, payers and patients the critical importance of understanding NAFLD and establishing a policy for prevention, early detection and effective therapy," said Zobair Younossi, MD, of Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Va., and lead study author.