This specific type of liver disease develops when the liver has difficulty breaking down fats and causes a buildup in the tissue which prevents it from functioning properly.
Currently, one in three people worldwide is affected by metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NALFD). Of those affected, approximately 25 percent progress to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), formerly known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). This can lead to liver scarring, medical referred to as fibrosis and eventually to cirrhosis. The stage of fibrosis is highly associated with the risk for poor outcomes.
People at Risk
Fatty liver disease is often linked to:
- Obesity
- Type 2 diabetes
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- High intake of cholesterol or added sugar
Symptoms
Patients often do not have noticeable symptoms of fatty liver disease. It is most commonly discovered through elevated liver enzymes during routine blood work or abnormal liver appearance on imaging tests. Some people display symptoms of:
- Fatigue
- Discomfort or pain in the right upper abdomen
- Patients with advanced liver disease (cirrhosis) may develop additional symptoms
Diagnosis
The key to diagnosing someone with MASLD is to identify those who have already developed MASH and fibrosis. OSU provides the latest testing to confirm these diagnoses. Besides an ultrasound, CT (computed tomography), or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), we also offer:
- Fibroscan: A simple, clinic-performed liver scan to check fibrosis
- Ultrasound elastography: A simple imaging test to check liver fibrosis
- MR elastography: A more sophisticated and reliable imaging test to check liver fibrosis
- MR PDFF: An imaging test used to quantify the liver fat
- Liver biopsy: A tissue sample removed from the liver by needle for examination. Currently, this is the most reliable test to diagnose MASH and fibrosis
Treatment
Our Multidisciplinary MASLD Clinic is dedicated to providing comprehensive, personalized care to help improve your liver health, address underlying metabolic conditions, and support long-term wellness.Our specialists include:
- Liver specialists (hepatologists)
- Registered dietitians and nutritionists
- Clinical pharmacists
- Endocrinologists
- Weight management specialists, including experts in bariatric surgery and advanced endoscopic weight loss procedures
- Clinical trial research coordinators
Lifestyle and weight management: This is the best defense against MASLD.
- Virtual group class on diet and exercise by Razan Hallak, RD. Call 614-293-6255 to schedule.
- Health and Wellness program
- Exercise is Medicine
FDA approved medical therapy for MASH with stage 2-3 fibrosis
- Resmetirom (Rezdiffra)
- Semaglutide (Wegovy)
Community outreach and engagement program
- Free Fibroscan on annual Healthy Community Day
From our experts
Fatty Liver Disease Clinical Trials
Currently there are multiple phase II and III clinical trials being conducted globally for NASH treatment. Please contact our liver specialists or research coordinator Joshua Hunt (joshua.hunt@osumc.edu) if you are interested in participating.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, phase 3 study evaluating long-term efficacy and safety of lanifibranor in adult patients with non-cirrhotic non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis-2 (F2)/fibrosis 3 (F3) stage of liver fibrosis.
Status: Completed enrollment
Sponsor: Inventiva
Primary investigator: Na Li, MD, PhD
The effect of semaglutide in subjects with non-cirrhotic NASH (phase 3).
Status: Completed enrollment
Sponsor: Novo Nordisk
Primary investigator: Na Li, MD, PhD
A Phase III double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate liver-related clinical outcomes and safety of once weekly injected survodutide in participants with compensated nonalcoholic steatohepatitis/metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis (NASH/MASH) cirrhosis.
Status: Active enrollment
Sponsor: Boehringer Ingelheim
Primary investigator: Na Li, MD, PhD
A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre, Phase III trial evaluating long-term efficacy and safety of survodutide weekly injections in adult participants with noncirrhotic non-alcoholic steatohepatitis/metabolic associated steatohepatitis (NASH/MASH) and (F2) - (F3) stage of liver fibrosis.
Status: Active enrollment
Sponsor: Boehringer Ingelheim
Primary investigator: Na Li, MD, PhD
A Randomized Double-blind Placebo-controlled Phase 3 Study to Evaluate the Effect of Resmetirom on Liver-related Outcomes in Patients with Well-compensated (Child-Pugh A) Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) Cirrhosis
Status: Completed enrollment
Sponsor: Madrigal
Primary investigator: Na Li, MD, PhD
A Phase 3 Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Pegozafermin in Subjects with Compensated Cirrhosis due to Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH).
Status: Active enrollment
Sponsor: 89Bio
Primary investigator: Na Li, MD, PhD