US government to launch 1st study of disease prevalence in MASLD
It's estimated to affect as many as 3 in 4 overweight people in US
The U.S. government soon will launch a first national study to assess the prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, or MASLD — a liver condition not linked to alcohol and previously known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) — in the country.
The study will be led by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), in collaboration with other federal agency stakeholders. Its first aim is to get a better estimation of exactly how common the liver condition is. Next, it will estimate the costs of MASLD, including those associated with its diagnosis and treatment, as well as the potential financial burden of leaving it unaddressed and having it progress to more serious forms.
The announcement of the new study was celebrated by advocacy organizations including the American Liver Foundation (ALF) and the American Society of Transplantation (AST).
“A nationwide study to assess the true prevalence of NAFLD and address barriers to preventing, diagnosing, and treating the disease is the first step towards developing a comprehensive plan to combat this looming public health crisis,” Lorraine Stiehl, CEO of the ALF, said in a foundation press release.
Funding for study of disease prevalence included in 2024 US budget
MASLD is characterized by the abnormal accumulation of fat in the liver that is related to other underlying metabolic conditions, such as obesity or high levels of fat in the blood. The condition was formerly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD, but the nomenclature was updated last year in an effort to improve precision and remove stigma.
Without treatment, MASLD can progress to cause inflammation and scarring that damages the liver. This is known as metabolic-associated steatohepatitis, or MASH, previously called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH.
The prevalence of MASH has been increasing in recent years, and it’s set to become the leading reason for liver transplants in the U.S. by 2025.
According to the ALF, as many as 100 million people in the U.S. have MASLD, including about three of every four people who are overweight and 9 in 10 who are severely obese.
MASLD also is the most common form of childhood liver disease, and its prevalence in children has more than doubled over the past two decades. However, most people who have MASLD don’t know they have it.
Preliminary results from an ongoing ALF initiative, called Think Liver Think Life, and its associated online quiz indicated that 93% of respondents were found to be at risk of MASLD.
Funding for the study came from a bill that funded the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for fiscal year 2024.
“We are incredibly thankful for our advocates who have been meeting with, and writing to, their members of Congress over the past year to support this critical study, and to the American Society of Transplantation for their partnership on this important initiative,” Stiehl said, specifically thanking U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana for “his leadership in championing this effort on Capitol Hill.”
Data emanating from this critical research will ultimately help us prioritize and guide strategies to diagnose, treat and prevent progression of the most common liver disease in America.
Josh Levitsky, MD, the AST president, said he was “thrilled to learn” that the study funding was included in the final HHS appropriations bill, adding that the group is “proud to support these efforts.”
“Data emanating from this critical research will ultimately help us prioritize and guide strategies to diagnose, treat and prevent progression of the most common liver disease in America,” Levitsky said.
In addition to investigating barriers to preventing, diagnosing, and treating MASLD and MASH, the study aims to identify disparities in access to care and healthcare outcomes among minority populations.
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