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- Title
What's in a name? Renaming 'NAFLD' to 'MAFLD'.
- Authors
Fouad, Yasser; Waked, Imam; Bollipo, Steven; Gomaa, Ahmed; Ajlouni, Yousef; Attia, Dina
- Abstract
In medicine, language matters and the words used to name and describe a disease can have a profound impact on patients and their families. Over the last two decades, many criticisms have been voiced about the nomenclature and definition of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in regards not only to the prominent role that alcohol plays in the definition but also on the negative impacts of the nomenclature including trivialization, stigmatization and less consideration of the disease in health policy. Recently, a consensus of international experts proposed that the disease acronym be changed from NAFLD to metabolic (dysfunction) associated fatty liver disease or 'MAFLD'. This change goes far beyond a mere semantic revision and may be the first step that catalyses the process to better conceptualize the disease for health promotion, patient orientation, case identification, ongoing clinical trials and for health services delivery. Here we review the history of, and definitions of MAFLD in the context of advancing our understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease. We also address the reasons, signals, promises, challenges and the way going forward from the name change from various stakeholder perspectives.
- Subjects
PATHOLOGY; FATTY liver; DEFINITIONS; MEDICAL care
- Publication
Liver International, 2020, Vol 40, Issue 6, p1254
- ISSN
1478-3223
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/liv.14478