Topic: MetALD: Opportunities and Challenges

The recent update in the nomenclature of steatotic liver disease has helped reduce the stigma associated with the term “non-alcoholic fatty liver disease” (NAFLD) by replacing it with “metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease” (MASLD). This reclassification, which also accounts for alcohol consumption, has led to the identification of a new clinical entity: metabolic dysfunction and alcohol-associated liver disease (MetALD). Recognizing MetALD as a distinct condition presents several challenges for both clinical practice and research, while also creating new opportunities to investigate key aspects of the disease – such as risk stratification, prognosis, natural history, pharmacological treatment, and clinical trial design. 

This Special Issue, “MetALD: Opportunities and Challenges," aims to explore these dimensions, with particular emphasis on the interplay between cardiometabolic risk factors and alcohol consumption. By examining the underlying mechanisms and pathways of MetALD, this issue seeks to deepen current understanding and support the development of more effective diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies