Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD)

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) used to be called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and it could lead to serious complications.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is actually a group of conditions that causes the fats to build up in the liver and leads to hepatitis with time. MASLD is one of the most common chronic liver diseases.

Causes of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease develops due to metabolic dysfunctions in the body. Common conditions that lead to MASLD are:

• Obesity.
• Insulin resistance.
• Type 2 diabetes.
• Dyslipidemia, which means elevated levels of lipids (waxy substances that the body makes), such as hypercholesterolemia.
• Genetic factors.

Symptoms of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) develops over years, and patients can have it without symptoms until they develop metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), which causes:

• Extreme tiredness and weakness.
• Pain in the upper right abdomen.
• Abdominal swelling.
• Loss of appetite.
• Jaundice.
• Unexpected weight loss.
• Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) can lead to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer, and it increases the risk of breast cancer, colon cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

Diagnosis of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)

• Blood tests.
• Imaging tests.
• Biopsy.

Treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)

• Weight loss.
• Changing the lifestyle.
• Managing other conditions.