The most recent prevalence studies estimate that around 130 million Americans and 60 million Europeans are living with MASLD. Shockingly, the majority of them don’t even know that they’re sick. This potentially dangerous condition can occur in people who drink little or no alcohol. It results in over 5% steatosis in the liver. As alarming, an estimated 5% of adults worldwide are affected by the most severe version of this disease. Many times they don’t even present any physical manifestation.
Our new polling research shows that over 15 million Americans, Brits, Germans and French are completely unaware they have the deadliest variant of fatty liver disease. This unfortunate lack of awareness can have important health consequences. About 20 million people in these countries live with MASLD. Yet only 2.5 million of them were formally diagnosed. This leaves over three-quarters, about 16.7 million, completely in the dark about their disease.
The rising prevalence of MASLD is especially alarming in the population with type 2 diabetes. Experts suggest that as many as two-thirds of patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes have MASLD. The disease is closely associated with obesity 2 – a major risk factor for heart and circulatory diseases. Medical professionals recommend that anyone with type 2 diabetes, obesity coupled with other risk factors, or persistently high liver enzymes undergo screening for MASLD.
Despite its importance, diagnosis rates for MASLD are surprisingly low, under 18% in regions around the world. “Undiagnosed MASH costs economies billions of pounds in lost productivity and poor health,” stated Dr. Jeffrey Lazarus. He stressed the immediate need to increase rates of diagnosis and treatment. If we don’t alter our trajectory, he cautioned, the direct health costs associated with the disease may triple over the next 20 years.
Untreated MASLD also has a major effect on lost productivity and mounting healthcare costs. Emmanouil Tsochatzis noted, “More than 15 million people across the US and Europe have the deadliest form of fatty liver disease – and don’t know it. Without faster diagnosis and access to treatment, the human and economic toll will skyrocket.”
There’s hope on the horizon thanks to GLP-1 receptor agonists like Wegovy and Mounjaro. These medications show great potential for resynchronizing metabolism by increasing satiety and postponing gastric emptying. Dr. Paul Brennan explained, “GLP-1s offer the potential to resynchronize our metabolism… These effects often result in reduced calorie intake and improvements in how the liver handles nutrients as a result of weight loss, thus reducing scar tissue formation in the liver.”
Michael Betel, president of the Fatty Liver Alliance, called attention to a critical issue: “Too many people living with type 2 diabetes or obesity are never tested for MASH until it’s too late.” He emphasized the importance of boosting liver health screenings for patients with these diseases. Betel takes a holistic approach to diabetes care, advocating for lifestyle changes that help control blood sugar levels. As appropriate, they prescribe weight loss medications to support appetite control.