Diagnosis of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Adults: Guidelines for Primary Care

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) was the only liver disease with growing prevalence in the US over the past 3 decades, synchronous with the rising rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D), according to a 2020 study published in Gut. Given this link between NAFLD and obesity and T2D, "endocrinologists and primary care physicians are in an ideal position to identify persons at risk on to prevent the development of cirrhosis and comorbidities," according to recently published clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of NAFLD, the first to be targeted specifically to primary care physicians and endocrinologists.

The guideline was developed by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE) and included 34 evidence-based clinical practice recommendations for the diagnosis and management of persons with NAFLD and/or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Below, find a recap of the recommendations for the diagnosis of NAFLD in adults.