S5 - E3.6 - From the Vault: EASL Congress 2023: Focus On The New MASLD Nomenclature

Send us Fan MailOur first conversation focusing on the new MASLD nomenclature surfaces as part of our coverage of the EASL Congress 2023. Hepatology researchers and key opinion leaders Sven Francque and Ian Rowe joined Jörn Schattenberg and Roger Green to discuss the value of the new nomenclature and its current and anticipated impact on their practices. This conversation focuses on the outcome of the nomenclature process, a three-stage Delphi process that produced new names and classifications for what had previously been known as fatty liver disease and henceforth will be known as steatotic liver disease (SLD). Sven, who was actively involved in the entire exercise, gives a concise summary of the process by which the new classifications were developed and how the new terminology will work. The rest of the conversation focuses on three issues.Excitement that we will now have the opportunity to study patients whose disease has both metabolic and alcohol-based components.The processes by which the three clinicians, Sven, Ian and Jörn are starting to share the new structure with their patients with varying degrees of success. One interesting observation emerges here from Sven: the English language terms do not translate equally into Dutch, so there is a patient advocate-led effort to create a new set of terms in Dutch.Roger raises concerns about implementation planning for the new nomenclature. One concern is around the possible impact on drug or diagnostic development and the other is about the kinds of communication issues covered in earlier episodes. Sven, who again worked more closely on the process, states with confidence that the change will not have an impact on drug or diagnostic trials. Subsequent events prove Sven right.