Table 1.

Risk factors for NAFLD

Age2	Higher risk with increasing age
Metabolic syndrome (table 2)	70–90% of patients have NAFLD Metabolic syndrome is an independent predictor of fibrosis
Gender2	Commoner in men Women are at higher risk of advanced fibrosis67
Certain ethnic groups2	High risk in Hispanics Lower risk in blacks
Dietary factors	High cholesterol and saturated fats68 High fructose intake69 Low carbohydrates70 Caffeine may be protective71
Obstructive sleep apnoea72	Increased risk of hepatic fibrosis73
Genetic factors	Patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing 3 (PNPLA3) gene74 75

NAFLD, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.