New nomenclature for fatty liver disease

Abstract

This review investigates that, in 2023, fatty liver disease underwent a name change to “steatotic liver disease” (SLD). SLD now includes metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), alcohol-related liver disease (ALD), and metabolic and alcohol-related liver disease (MetALD). The renaming aims to better incorporate alcohol intake and metabolic risk factors into disease classification and to diminish the stigma associated with the previous nomenclature. Early identification of the patient’s aetiology is important for the prognosis which can be improved by interventions against the causative risk factors.