Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)

What Increases Your Risk

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) most commonly affects people who are middle-aged and obese.

Factors that increase your risk for developing NASH include:

• Fatty liver, or the buildup of fat in liver cells (steatosis).
• Obesity.
• Type 2 diabetes.
• High cholesterol and high triglycerides.
• High blood pressure (hypertension).
• A family history of NASH or cirrhosis, especially cirrhosis of unknown cause (cryptogenic cirrhosis).

Certain treatments for other conditions can also increase your risk of NASH. Some examples of how this could happen include:

• Having had surgery that modifies the intestines, the stomach, or both.
• Using a feeding tube or other method of nutrition delivery for a long time.
• Using certain medicines, including amiodarone, glucocorticoids, synthetic estrogens, and tamoxifen.

Go to previous section	Go to top of page	Go to next section
Author:	Monica Rhodes	Last Updated: July 15, 2009
Medical Review:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine W. Thomas London, MD - Hepatology
© 1995-2009 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.