Time to Replace Assessment of Liver Histology With MR-Based Imaging Tests to Assess Efficacy of Interventions for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Although replacing assessment of liver histology in NAFLD with non-invasive imaging assessment, is replacing one surrogate marker of liver disease with another, we propose that it is now time to focus on treating liver lipid accumulation as an easily detectable early manifestation of disease in NAFLD. Such an approach would not only place the focus on removing a trigger for liver disease progression, but would also have a beneficial effect on also focussing attention on modifying a risk factor for the development of important extra-hepatic complications of NAFLD such as T2DM, and maybe also CVD .