The review contains updated information on the epidemiology, etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We searched for terms including NAFLD, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus in literature published over the past 5 years using the Scopus, Web of Science, CyberLeninka, PubMed databases. The concept of NAFLD includes two morphological forms of the disease with different prognosis: non-alcoholic fatty hepatosis and NASH. The severity of NASH is quite variable, including fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. NAFLD, a spectrum of fatty liver disorders of viral, autoimmune, drug-induced, and genetic origin, which are not caused by alcohol abuse, has recently been renamed as metabolic (dysfunction) associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). The average prevalence of NAFLD is approximately 25 % among the adult population worldwide, and in some regions exceeds 30 %. An increase in the prevalence of this pathology is in parallel with the global epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus in the world. It is time to reach a general consensus in the scientific community on changing the nomenclature and moving from a negative to a positive definition of NAFLD/NASH. The new nomenclature points to the “positive” determinants of the disease, namely the close relationship with metabolic disorders, instead of defining it as what it is not (ie. non-alcoholic). The MAFLD abbreviation more accurately discloses existing knowledge about fatty liver diseases associated with metabolic dysfunction and should replace NAFLD/NASH, as this will stimulate the research community’s efforts to update the disease nomenclature and subphenotype and accelerate the transition to new treatments. It is important that primary care physicians, endocrinologists, and other specialists are aware of the extent and long-term consequences of NAFLD. Early identification of patients with NASH can help improve treatment outcomes, avoid liver transplantation in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. There are currently no effective treatments for NAFLD, so it is important to follow a multidisciplinary approach, which means using measures to improve prognosis, reduce the risk of death associated with NAFLD, the development of cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. Epidemiological data suggest a close relationship between unhealthy lifestyles and NAFLD, so lifestyle adjustments are needed to all patients. Insulin sensitizers, statins, ezetimibe, a cholesterol absorption inhibitor, hepatoprotectors, antioxidants, incretin analogues, dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors, pentoxifylline, probiotics, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and endocannabinoid antagonists are used in the treatment of NAFLD.
Trend for Clinical Use of Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD)
