What Is Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease?
While it’s normal and healthy for the liver to contain some fat, more than 5 percent is abnormal and termed fatty liver, or hepatic steatosis.
When inflammation and liver cell damage occur along with fat in the liver, it’s called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). MASH is the progressive type of MASLD, and it affects about 1 out of 5 people with MASLD. If uncorrected, it can lead to cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer.
Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatotic Liver Disease vs. Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease
MASLD and alcohol-associated liver disease are the two most common forms of chronic liver disease in the United States right now, according to Christina Lindenmeyer, MD, a hepatologist at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
The primary difference is indicated in the names of the diseases: Alcohol-associated liver disease is linked with excessive alcohol consumption, and MASLD is associated with metabolic syndrome — a group of health risks that includes obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and a large waistline — says Dr. Lindenmeyer.
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