title: Treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with focus on emerging drugs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming one of the most common causes of chronic liver disease worldwide. The economic and social cost of disease is very high and there is a need for effective treatments.
  
  
  METHODS
  The available and potential future treatments for NAFLD are reviewed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Weight loss remains the cornerstone of treatment of hepatic steatosis, but difficult to pursue. A pragmatic approach relies on generic recommendations for weight loss and physical activity in the whole population and limiting interventions to subject at risk of disease progression, but the type of preferred treatment remains a matter of debate. The large number and mechanistic diversity of drugs that have so far been investigated bear testimony to the lack of a specific, effective agent. Insulin resistance remains the pivotal alteration responsible for liver disease and its progression and insulin sensitizers are regarded as the treatment of choice. Several ongoing studies are testing the effectiveness of new approaches on histological outcomes and new metabolic pathways are under scrutiny.
authors.affiliation: University of Bologna, Unit of Metabolic Diseases & Clinical Dietetics, 9, Via Massarenti, I-40138 Bologna, Italy. giulio.marchesini@unibo.it
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marchesini
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moscatiello
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Agostini
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Villanova
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Festi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D050110:Bariatric Surgery; D001835:Body Weight; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004035:Diet Therapy; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000379:methods*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D045162:Thiazolidinediones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D045162:Thiazolidinediones