Strengthening research on relationship between metabolic syndrome and chronic liver disease

Metabolic syndrome is becoming a global epidemic disease, and it has been an important cause or risk factor for chronic liver disease in China. Recently, many studies have shown that metabolic syndrome is not only the important cause or risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, but also closely associated with increased incidence of cirrhosis and liver cancer in patients with alcoholic liver disease, chronic hepatitis B and C, and cryptogenic liver disease. Moreover, chronic liver disease patients with metabolic syndrome have a significantly increased risk of type 2 diabetes and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. These results suggest that hepatologists should pay more attention to the clinical research on the relationship between metabolic syndrome and liver disease and its management