NAFLD in the 20's. From Epidemiology to Pathogenesis and Management of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

First named as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by Dr. Ludwig, from Mayo Clinic, USA in 1980 [1], and recently renamed as metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) [2], NAFLD is an increasingly recognized public health problem and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide [3]. To date, owing to its epidemiological and clinical burden, which spans from hepatic to systemic manifestations, NAFLD is an intensively investigated pathologic condition. Aimed at envisaging the lines of research which may possibly be developed in the near future, the Current Pharmacological Design (CPD) journal has promoted a collection of invited review articles, the first section of which has now been published. We strongly believe that the topics addressed here are clinically relevant in as much as they cover the most recent advances in epidemiology, genetics, pathophysiology, natural course and management of NAFLD in both adults and the mother-and-child dyad.