Diagnosis and Management of Nonalcoholic Liver Disease

MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS

• Patients with incidental hepatic steatosis detected on imaging who lack any liver-related symptoms or signs and have normal liver biochemistries should be assessed for metabolic risk factors (eg, obesity, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia) and other causes of hepatic steatosis, including alcohol consumption (>14 drinks per week for women; >21 drinks per week for men) and medications.

• Routine screening for NAFLD in high-risk groups is not advised because of uncertainties surrounding diagnostic tests and treatment options, along with lack of knowledge about long-term benefits and cost-effectiveness of screening.

• The FIB-4 (age, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, platelets) and NAFLD Fibrosis Score (NFS, which adds body mass index and albumin) are clinically useful tools to predict bridging fibrosis.

• Vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) or magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) can noninvasively assess for advanced fibrosis.

• Weight loss generally reduces hepatic steatosis, either by hypocaloric diet alone or in conjunction with increased physical activity.

• Pharmacologic treatments should be limited to patients with biopsy-proven nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and advanced fibrosis.

• Statins can be used to treat dyslipidemia in patients with NAFLD, NASH, and compensated NASH cirrhosis.