Analysis of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Research Papers: Saudi Arabia
Keywords:
Non Alcoholic fatty liver, Risk Factors, Saudi ArabiaAbstract
Background and Objective: Liver disease is becoming a significant global health concern, with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) being the most prevalent liver condition in Western countries. The prevalence of NAFLD is increasing alongside rates of obesity and diabetes mellitus. While approximately 25% of people worldwide may have NAFLD, it is believed to be even more common in the Middle East. This study aims to determine the prevalence of NAFLD in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). [1] .By 2030, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are projected to have approximately 12,534,000 and 372,000 NAFLD cases, respectively. As the population ages and the disease progresses, cases of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are expected to rise more rapidly than those of NAFLD. Additionally, annual liver-related fatalities are anticipated to increase to 4,800 in Saudi Arabia and 140 in the United Arab Emirates by 2030. The number of prevalent cases of compensated cirrhosis and advanced liver disease is also expected to quadruple during this period.[2] Researchers in Saudi Arabia have been actively studying NAFLD and publishing their findings. A systematic analysis of these studies is essential, as it will not only highlight the current status of NAFLD research but also aid in shaping future health policies related to the disease in Saudi Arabia.
Method: This study utilized the search string “Fatty Liver” OR “Non-alcoholic” OR “NA Fatty liver” AND AFFIL (Saudi AND Arabia) to retrieve articles from the PubMed Central and ScienceDirect databases. Various tools available in the PubMed database were employed to analyse bibliometric parameters.
Results: The search yielded a total of 206 articles from PubMed and 379 articles from ScienceDirect. Most of these articles originated from King Saud University (175), followed by King Abdulaziz University (48), King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (36), King Saud University College of Applied Medical Sciences (25), and King Khalid University (36).
Conclusion: Saudi researchers are making significant contributions to addressing the public health challenge posed by fatty liver disease. However, it was noted that certain institutions are leading in this research while others are less involved. Therefore, the health department should encourage and implement strategies to increase participation from additional institutions in this important area of study.
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