A position statement on NAFLD/NASH based on the EASL 2009 special conference

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are increasingly relevant public health issues owing to their close association with the worldwide epidemics of diabetes and obesity. NAFLD/NASH is one of the most common chronic liver diseases and increases the 5-year direct and indirect health care costs by an estimated 26% [1]. Although evidencebased clinical practice guidelines for this condition are badly needed, currently not enough evidence is available to formulate guidelines in an unbiased, responsible, and unequivocal way. This position statement summarizes the proceedings of the 2009 EASL Special Conference on NAFLD/NASH and proposes expert opinion for different aspects of the clinical care of these patients.