Sarcopenia and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease - complex pathogenetic relationships

Sarcopenia and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are common problems associated with aging. Despite the differences in diagnostic methods, a series of studies have appeared in recent years that have revealed a close relationship between sarcopenia and NAFLD. Sarcopenia and NAFLD are associated with a number of common pathogenetic mechanisms, which are discussed in the present article, including the role of insulin resistance at both the liver and muscle levels, hormonal imbalance, the role of systemic inflammation, dysregulation of myokines, vitamin D deficiency, the role of malnutrition and inactivity, the role of hepatokines and hyperammonemia, which indicates the bidirectional relationship between sarcopenia and NAFLD.