title: The role of medications for the management of patients with NAFLD.
abstract: The article is intended to provide an overview of the strengths and limits of controlled trials of pharmacologic treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. No drug has so far been approved, although validated on histologic outcomes. Several new drugs are under scrutiny, acting with different mechanisms along the chain of events from fatty liver to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The article investigates which drug, if any, should be preferred for a tailored intervention in individual patients, according to age, comorbidities, and disease severity, and if treatment should be continued lifelong, to prevent disease progression and long-term occurrence of cirrhosis.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Metabolic Diseases & Clinical Dietetics, Postgraduate School of Nutrition, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Alma Mater Studiorum University, Via Massarenti, 9, Bologna 40138, Italy.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mazzella
authors.forename: Laura M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ricciardi
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mazzotti
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marchesini
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008687:Metformin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D047492:Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors / Q000819:agonists; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D045162:Thiazolidinediones / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D047492:Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors; D045162:Thiazolidinediones; D008687:Metformin
keywords: Anti-fibrotic agents; Antioxidants; Drug treatment; Insuin-sensitizers; Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; PPAR agonists