“But I don’t eat anything doctor”: NAFLD or MAFLD: should you care?

25% of the global population have Non-Alcoholic-Fatty-Liver-Disease(NAFLD) with ~6% having non-alcoholic-steatohepatitis(NASH). Possible name, change from NAFLD to MAFLD(Metabolic associated fatty liver disease). Shift to reflect underlying pathogenesis, eliminate “negative” nomenclature, and allow for coexistence of other chronic liver diseases, including alcoholic liver disease.

What’s in a name? MAFLD, NAFLD, or Obesity-induced-liver-disease: should we care? NAFLD ranges from steatosis to NASH, cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer. Since Steatosis can proceed directly to hepatocellular, we should not refer to it as simple steatosis!!

Mechanistically, maternal obesity programs development of offspring obesity and NAFLD. Maternal gut microbiota may be involved in programming... Many upcoming therapies……..

Dr Jude A Oben, Consultant Gastroenterologist-Hepatologist, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital