Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), now referred to as metabolically associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), is one of the most common liver diseases worldwide, closely linked to the growing obesity epidemic. Despite the growing prevalence of this disease, there is a notable lack of pharmacological agents specifically designed to treat MAFLD. This gap in therapeutic options can be explained by the multifaceted nature of MAFLD, characterized by an incomplete understanding of its underlying mechanisms, a lack of accurate and accessible imaging tools, and the inadequacy of non-invasive biomarkers for effective diagnosis and monitoring.

In addition, this review highlights existing methods for diagnosing MAFLD and emphasizes the growing importance of non-coding RNAs as promising diagnostic biomarkers. Today, the urgent need for non-invasive biomarkers combined with accurate and cost-effective diagnostic tools cannot be overstated, as they play a key role in identifying early signs of MAFLD progression.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), metabolically associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)

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