Help against an ‘evolving epidemic’
The guidance is “timely and long awaited,” Jamile Wakim-Fleming, MD, director of the fatty liver disease program at the Cleveland Clinic, said in an interview. NAFLD is an “evolving epidemic,” she added.
Numerous recent studies have “led to new modalities for diagnosis and therapy, and a better understanding” of the epidemiology and pathophysiology of NAFLD, she said. “More specifically, advancements in noninvasive testing, risk stratifications, and therapeutic modalities are now available and worth disseminating.”
NAFLD’s complexity and the lack of an FDA-approved therapy specifically targeting the liver means that managing the disease “requires expertise in multiple disciplines and knowledge of the latest developments,” Dr. Wakim-Fleming noted.
“This guidance describes preventive and treatment strategies for the metabolic conditions associated with NAFLD and is very useful for physicians in different specialties who treat individuals with these conditions,” she said.
No funding was declared. Dr. Rinella and Dr. Wakim-Fleming have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article originally appeared on Medscape.com.
The AGA’s Clinical Practice Update on the Diagnosis and Management of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Lean Individuals is available online.