Trends in the Prevalence of Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Fatty Liver Disease in the United States, 2011–2018

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects more than 25% of the adult population worldwide and is associated with significant clinical and economic burden.1 However, heterogeneous definitions and inaccurate terminology contribute to variations in prevalence estimates and may not comprehensively incorporate complex metabolic dysfunctions that exist. An international expert panel consensus proposed updated nomenclature, metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), and associated criteria to more accurately capture this complex multisystem metabolic disorder.2 Although it has not replaced NAFLD, the term MAFLD has been positively received given it more comprehensively incorporates the metabolic derangements that contribute to risk of fatty liver and it may be more practical for clinicians to identify patients with fatty liver.3 We describe prevalence of MAFLD among US adults based on these recently proposed nomenclature and definition.2.