Management of NAFLD patients with advanced fibrosis

Abstract

The prevalence of non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has increased to 25% in the general population and could double by 2030. Liver fibrosis is the main indicator of morbidity and mortality and recent estimations suggest a substantial number of individuals with undiagnosed advanced liver disease. Strategies to monitor advanced fibrosis are essential for early detection, referral, diagnosis and treatment in primary care and endocrine units, where NAFLD and consequently liver fibrosis are more prevalent. Blood-based non-invasive methods could be used to stratify patients according to the risk of the progression of fibrosis and combined with imaging techniques to improve stratification. Powerful new diagnostic tools such as MRE and PDFF are emerging and might prevent the need for liver biopsy in the near future. The current therapeutic landscape of NAFLD is rapidly evolving with an increasing number of molecules that treat key factors involved in its progression, but that still have a limited or no ability to effectively reverse fibrosis. Management of this disease will probably require a combination of sequential and personalized treatments as a result of its complex and dynamic pathophysiology. Lifestyle interventions are still the most effective therapeutic option and should be better integrated into patient management together with specific programs of bariatric endoscopy/surgery for morbidly obese patients.

Keywords: NAFLD; NASH; advanced liver disease; liver fibrosis; screening.