Esteatosis hepática metabólica y nefropatía diabética: una llamada a la acción

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a common condition with increasing prevalence and incidence, specially in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). Both cardiovascular and renal disease are clearly increased in these patients, particularly in those with diabetic nephropathy. In the liver–heart–kidney–metabolic axis, the common pathophysiological basis of MAFLD, cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and DM2 is the same. The clinical relationship between all of them is clear and is multidirectional: MAFLD may precede the development of cardiovascular and renal disease, and may also worsen the prognosis of these complications once developed. In this review we emphasize the importance of targeting MAFLD in diabetic kidney disease, with the goal of detecting high-risk patients in order to improve their prognosis.