Navigating NAFLD non-invasively: Ingredients to shape future care paths in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing worldwide, including the advanced stages: NAFLD fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The stage of liver fibrosis is linearly associated with risk of liver-related and all-cause mortality. This warrants the development of guidelines, including diagnostic algorithms using non-invasive tests, to improve awareness and management of NAFLD and to identify those patients at high risk of developing advanced fibrosis.
This thesis outlines the wide range of liver test candidates to navigate, diagnose and stage NAFLD non-invasively in different populations and care settings. This broad spectrum of non-invasive liver tests may perform varyingly in a diverse population. Therefore, it is key to select the optimal test for any particular patient. This selection process should be implemented in NAFLD care paths.
To conclude, chief ingredients to shape future care paths in NAFLD are: improved awareness of this disease among health care professionals; the acknowledgement that non-invasive liver test performance can vary in diverse populations and the realization that a lot of work still needs to be done to reach an ideal situation.