APPROACH TO THE PATIENT WITH NONALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE

XNonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a common cause of elevated liver tests. The association between fatty liver and metabolic syndrome (MS) is well documented and widely accepted. Cirrhosis due to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is currently the second most common indication for liver transplant with increasing incidence. Gastroenterologists/hepathologists and primary care physicians have more questions than answers regarding the NAFLD. The most common questions are which NAFLD patients have a risk of progression to NASH, fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepa- tocellular carcinoma, and which patients with NAFLD have a need for liver biopsy. In addition, a number of non-invasive diagnostic methods in the approach to the patient with NAFLD are investigated. How to approach these patients in routine clinical practice, is more of an art than a science at this time. In this article we will try to provide more recent recommenda- tions of how to approach the patients with NAFLD.