MASLD (Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Liver Disease) is estimated to affect 1 out of 3 patients in the US(1). Globally, the disease reaches a similar prevalence, and it is only expected to continue to rise with the anticipated higher incident rate of obesity, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes(2).

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Left untreated, MASLD can progress to Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH), which in turn can lead to severe health complications including liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver transplant. In fact, incident rates for liver cancer due to MASLD are expected to triple by 2030(2). NASH-related cirrhosis, already a significant reason for liver transplants in women and individuals over 65, is anticipated to rise further. It currently matches alcohol-related liver disease as a leading cause for liver transplants overall. (4)

 

And yet, MASLD is often undetected(3). It is symptomatic, so patients are unaware of its progress towards the more advanced stages. Providers and the entire healthcare system are not well-equipped to meet the diagnostic and management demands of the disease.

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(1) Younossi ZM, Koenig AB, Abdelatif D, Fazel Y, Henry L, Wymer M. Global epidemiology of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease—meta-analytic assessment of prevalence, incidence, and outcomes. Hepatology. 2016;64:73–84.

(2) Estes C, Razavi H, Loomba R, Younossi Z, Sanyal AJ. Modeling the epidemic of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease demonstrates an exponential increase in burden of disease. Hepatology. 2018;67:123–33.

(3) Bertot LC, Jeffrey GP, Wallace M, MacQuillan G, Garas G, Ching HL, et al. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease‐related cirrhosis is commonly unrecognized and associated with hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatol Commun. 2017;1:53–60.

(4) Younossi ZM, Stepanova M, Ong J, Trimble G, AlQahtani S, Younossi I, et al. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis is the most rapidly increasing indication for liver transplantation in the United States. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2021;19:580–9.

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