Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is the name for a group of disorders that affect primarily the intestines. The two major types of chronic IBD include Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Crohn’s disease can affect any part of the GI tract from the mouth to the anus whereas ulcerative colitis is usually to the colon. With both diseases, patients can experience similar symptoms including diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloody stools, weight loss and fatigue. Symptoms outside the GI tract can also occur such as arthritis, skin lesions or even eye problems. IBD is thought as a primarily autoimmune disease.

NASH is a form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It is where there is a build-up of fat in the liver. Inflammation and liver damage are also present. This can lead to scarring of the liver, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. The NIDDKD reports that only a small percentage of people with NAFLD have NASH. 30-40% of people in the US have NAFLD. However, only 3-12% have NASH.