[Interpretation of key updates of the 2026 version of the APASL clinical practice guidelines for the management of chronic hepatitis B].

The Asia-Pacific region has the heavy burden of chronic hepatitis B. In 2026, the Asia-Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) updated its clinical practice guidelines for the management of chronic hepatitis B. The recommendations in this version of the guideline are formulated around focusing 13 core areas: vaccination and universal screening strategies, an established system of progressive treatment goals, pathways for stratified assessment of liver fibrosis based on resource availability, expansion of antiviral therapy indications, and advocacy of proactive treatment strategies. Incorporating metabolic risk factors into long-term care and managing co-existing metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease at the same time emphasizes shared decision-making between patients and clinicians and the use of new technologies in risk assessment, which optimizes the link between diagnosis and treatment and improves long-term clinical outcomes for patients.