Treatment of Fatty Liver Disease: The Present and the Future

Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) progressing to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease (ESRD), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is emerging as a global epidemic. Obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome are some of the leading risk factors for NAFLD. The most prevalent treatment to stop the progression is aimed at dietary modification and lifestyle changes. Bariatric surgery is indicated for patients with morbid obesity with NAFLD. The progression of NAFLD to NASH and HCC can be arrested at various stages of pathogenesis by the already prevalent drugs and the emerging newer molecular and genetic targets. This review article analyzed various preclinical animal trials and clinical trials and has summarized various groups of drugs that can be life-altering in patients diagnosed with NAFLD. This study also discusses the obstacles in taking these clinical trials to bedside treatment.