Dietary counseling based on artificial intelligence for patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

BACKGROUND About 25%of the general population in Japan are reported to have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD).NAFLD and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis carry a risk of progressing further to hepatocellular carcinoma.The primary treatment for NAFLD is dietary therapy.Dietary counseling plays an essential role in dietary therapy.Although artificial intelligence(AI)-based nutrition management software applications have been developed and put into practical use in recent years,the majority focus on weight loss or muscle strengthening,and no software has been developed for patient use in clinical practice.AIM To examine whether effective dietary counseling is possible using AI-based nutrition management software.METHODS NAFLD patients who had been assessed using an AI-based nutrition management software application(Calomeal)that automatically analyzed images of meals photographed by patients and agreed to receive dietary counseling were given dietary counseling.Blood biochemistry tests were performed before(baseline)and 6 mo after(6M follow-up)dietary counseling.After the dietary counseling,the patients were asked to complete a questionnaire survey.RESULTS A total of 29 patients diagnosed with NAFLD between August 2020 and March 2022 were included.There were significant decreases in liver enzyme and triglyceride levels at the 6M follow-up compared to baseline.The food analysis capability of the AI used by Calomeal in this study was 75.1%.Patient satisfaction with the AIbased dietary counselling was high.CONCLUSION AI-based nutrition management appeared to raise awareness of dietary habits among NAFLD patients.However,it did not directly alleviate the burden of registered dietitians,and improvements are much anticipated.