Indian National Association for Study of the Liver (INASL) Guidance Paper on Nomenclature, Diagnosis and Treatment of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major cause of chronic liver disease globally and in India. The already high burden of NAFLD in India is expected to further increase in the future in parallel with the ongoing epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Given the high prevalence of NAFLD in the community, it is crucial to identify those at risk of progressive liver disease to streamline referral and guide proper management. Existing guidelines on NAFLD by various international societies fail to capture the entire landscape of NAFLD in India and are often difficult to incorporate in clinical practice due to fundamental differences in sociocultural aspects and health infrastructure available in India. A lot of progress has been made in the field of NAFLD in the 7 years since the initial position paper by the Indian National Association for the Study of Liver on NAFLD in 2015. Further, the ongoing debate on the nomenclature of NAFLD is creating undue confusion among clinical practitioners. The ensuing comprehensive review provides consensus-based, guidance statements on the nomen-clature, diagnosis, and treatment of NAFLD that are practically implementable in the Indian setting. ( J CLIN EXP HEPATOL 2023;13:273-302)

Automated summary

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major cause of chronic liver disease globally and in India, and its burden is expected to increase in parallel with the ongoing epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Existing international guidelines on NAFLD fail to fully capture the Indian landscape and are difficult to incorporate into clinical practice due to sociocultural and infrastructural differences. A comprehensive review provides consensus-based guidance on the nomenclature, diagnosis, and treatment of NAFLD that is practical in the Indian setting.