Historically, liver disease has been associated with alcohol use. However, two different diseases (alcohol-related liver disease [ALD] and nonalcohol-related fatty liver disease [NAFLD]) have similar pathological effects on the liver, ranging from simple liver inflammation to chronic cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Alcohol-related and nonalcohol-related fatty liver disease cause serious problems worldwide, but risk factors associated with the disorders, predictors of outcomes, and treatments on the horizon can differ. Therefore, the primary care clinician must understand the differences between these two entities.
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