ABSTRACT
NAFLD is a growing pandemic due to the surge of patients with obesity and insulin resistance in the population. Early identification of those who are at risk for NAFLD prompts targeted intervention to improve clinical outcomes and lower mortality. Primary care providers, who are at the front line for disease prevention, play a critical role in NAFLD screening and risk stratification. A stepwise guide for primary care providers to identify patients at risk for NAFLD and to screen patients using appropriate modalities can ensure that patients receive treatment at the optimal timing. Besides a full history and physical examination in all patients, liver biochemical tests and abdominal ultrasound are additional tests that may be helpful in identifying liver disease. Several blood-based tools and imaging modalities are available to assist clinicians in identifying those at high risk for liver fibrosis. In this chapter, we review a stepwise approach to identifying at-risk patients, ruling out alternative causes of liver disease, and risk-stratifying patients in order to identify those at highest risk for liver-related morbidity and mortality.
