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Abstract Details
Preparing for the NASH epidemic: A call to action
Obesity (Silver Spring). 2021 Sep;29(9):1401-1412. doi: 10.1002/oby.23250.Epub 2021 Aug 8.
Fasiha Kanwal1, Jay H Shubrook2, Zobair Younossi3, Yamini Natarajan4, Elisabetta Bugianesi5, Mary E Rinella6, Stephen A Harrison7, Christos Mantzoros8, Kim Pfotenhauer9, Samuel Klein10, Robert H Eckel11, Davida Kruger12, Hashem El-Serag4, Kenneth Cusi13
Author information
1Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety and Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development Service, Houston, Texas, USA.
2College of Osteopathic Medicine, Touro University California, Vallejo, California, USA.
3Inova Health System, Falls Church, Virgina, USA.
4Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
5University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
6Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
7Pinnacle Clinical Research, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
8Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
9Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA.
10Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA.
11University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
12Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
13University of Florida and Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Abstract
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are common conditions with a rising burden. Yet there are significant management gaps between clinical guidelines and practice in patients with NAFLD and NASH. Further, there is no single global guiding strategy for the management of NAFLD and NASH. The American Gastroenterological Association, in collaboration with 7 professional associations, convened an international conference comprising 32 experts in gastroenterology, hepatology, endocrinology, and primary care providers from the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Conference content was informed by the results of a national NASH Needs Assessment Survey. The participants reviewed and discussed published literature on global burden, screening, risk stratification, diagnosis, and management of individuals with NAFLD, including those with NASH. Participants identified promising approaches for clinical practice and prepared a comprehensive, unified strategy for primary care providers and relevant specialists encompassing the full spectrum of NAFLD/NASH care. They also identified specific high-yield targets for clinical research and called for a unified, international public health response to NAFLD and NASH.