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  • Review Article
  • Published:

Management of NAFLD: a stage-based approach

Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology volume 13, pages 196–205 (2016)Cite this article

Subjects

Key Points

  • NAFLD is the most common cause of liver disease, affecting 30% of the US population; however, the goals of treatment differ based on stage of disease

  • Lifestyle modification and excellent control of comorbid metabolic illness is important for all patients

  • Patients with NASH, the progressive subtype of NAFLD, should be targeted for treatment, especially if they have concomitant fibrosis because such patients are more likely to have adverse outcomes

  • Currently available pharmacological options include vitamin E, pioglitazone and pentoxifylline

  • Although bariatric surgery has not been studied prospectively specifically as a treatment for NASH, indirect evidence suggests it is effective at improving histological features of NASH, including fibrosis

  • Several promising drug therapies for NASH targeting a broad array of targets are in clinical trials and are anticipated to pave the way for new and more effective treatment options

Abstract

NAFLD is the most prevalent form of liver disease in the USA, affecting an estimated 30% of the population. The condition is associated with increased mortality related to cardiovascular disease, malignancy and liver disease. Identification of patients who might be at increased risk of adverse outcomes is critical as it is not feasible to screen all patients with suspected NAFLD. Patients with NASH, the progressive subtype of NAFLD, should be targeted for treatment, especially if they have concomitant fibrosis because such patients are more likely than those without fibrosis to have adverse outcomes. Treatment goals in patients with NAFLD vary depending on the disease stage owing to differential risk of progression and the particularities of an individual's comorbid disease. Lifestyle intervention is important for all patients irrespective of disease stage, but other therapies should be targeted to those most likely to benefit. In this Review, we highlight risk factors for disease progression and offer a stage-based treatment approach for patients with NAFLD.

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Figure 1: Proposed risk stratification for patients with NAFLD.
Figure 2: A stage-based approach to the treatment of NAFLD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 676 N. St. Clair Street, Arkes Pavillion, 14–005, Chicago, 60527, Illinois, USA

    Mary E. Rinella

  2. Virginia Commonwealth University, 1200 East Broad Street, MCV BOX 980341, Richmond, 23298–0341, Virginia, USA

    Arun J. Sanyal

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Contributions

All authors contributed equally to discussion of content, writing and reviewing/editing the manuscript before submission. M.E.R. researched data for the article.

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Correspondence to Arun J. Sanyal.

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Competing interests

M.E.R. has served as a consultant to AbbVie, FibroGen, Genentech, Intercept, NGM Biopharmaceuticals, NuSirt, Shire, Takeda and W.L Gore & Associates. A.J.S. has stock options in Genfit. He is the President of Sanyal Biotechnologies and has served as a consultant to AbbVie, Astra Zeneca, Boehringer Ingelhiem, Exalenz Bioscience, FibroGen, Genfit, Hemoshear, Immune Pharma, Immuron, Lilly, Nimbus Therapeutics, Nitto Denko, Salix Pharmaceuticals, Takeda and Tobira Therapeutics. He has been an unpaid consultant to Echosens and Intercept Pharmaceuticals. His institution has received grant support from Astra Zeneca, Bristol Myers, Gilead, Merck, Novartis, Salix Pharmaceuticals and Tobira Therapeutics.

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Rinella, M., Sanyal, A. Management of NAFLD: a stage-based approach. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 13, 196–205 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2016.3

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