Understanding the Nomenclature Shift in Fatty Liver Disease

The medical community has announced new nomenclature for fatty liver disease. The new naming conventions are aimed at de-stigmatizing liver disease and more accurately representing connection to steatosis. The previous naming also did not fully describe the comprehensive and various conditions associated with the disease.

Fatty liver disease (FLD) will now be referred to as Steatotic Liver Disease (SLD) and serve as the overarching term to describe the various types of steatotic liver diseases. The types of SLD have also been updated to the following nomenclature changes:

-> Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is now Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD).

-> NASH (Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis) is now Metabolic Dysfunction Associated SteatoHepatitis (MASH).

The new terminology now represents the true complexity and severity of the disease and more accurately reflects the disease’s strong association with metabolic dysfunction. The name also removes the focus from the patient’s little to no alcohol consumption.

In addition to the above changes, a new set of nomenclatures was also introduced:

-> Metabolic Alcohol-related Liver Disease (MetALD) will now describe those with MASLD and increased alcohol intake (140g/week and 210g/week for females and males respectively).

-> Specific Aetiology SLD will now describe drug induced liver injury, monogenic diseases and miscellaneous.

Alcohol-related liver disease or alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) naming will remain the same.

Liver health matters, and by updating the nomenclature to reflect affirmative and non-stigmatizing language, we are taking a significant step forward in combating and treating the true effects of liver disease.