Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a global public health problem. NAFLD is bidirectionally correlated with metabolic syndrome, which includes obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia as major components. The presence of metabolic syndrome is associated with a higher prevalence of NAFLD, and vice versa. Also, the presence of metabolic syndrome in patients with NAFLD has been linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, liver-related complications, extrahepatic malignancies, and mortality, and possibly vice versa. Multidisciplinary care pathways including lifestyle modifications, control of metabolic risk, and potentially beneficial treatments are important to improve the clinical outcomes of patients with NAFLD.
Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) bridges diagnostic gaps across the continuum of care worldwide and is a particularly potent tool in resource-limited settings (RLS). To capture the scope of its current impact in RLS, this narrative review of POCUS use in public health, primary care, outpatient specialty, pre-hospital, and palliative care settings discusses its use in reducing diagnostic health care inequities. Disease-specific protocols, longitudinal training, quality assurance, and task shifting are key to robust expansion of POCUS in RLS.