Understanding Mash
To SPEAK LIVER, you first need to learn the language of liver disease. What is MASH (metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis), and why is it so important to find it early?
About MASH
What is MASH?
Fatty liver, a condition in which there is excessive fat buildup in the liver, can progress to MASH—a more severe form of fatty liver disease. Over time, MASH can cause damage to the liver and potentially lead to other serious and life-threatening consequences. These include the risk of heart disease or liver cancer. It can also include the risk of cirrhosis that can lead to liver failure or the need for a liver transplant. MASH is often diagnosed late or not at all, making it very important to know the risk factors and symptoms to look for.
~1 out of 3 adults in the United States
are living with fatty liver disease
1 in 20 adults in the United States
are living with MASH
1 out of 5 people
with fatty liver disease and no liver scarring (fibrosis), who then developed liver scarring, progressed to advanced liver scarring in 6 years (in medical studies of 52 patients)
Percentages represent combined data from multiple medical studies and do not add up to 100%.
Nearly half of the people living with MASH in the United States are Hispanic
MASH is a metabolic disease
Metabolic disorders, including fatty liver disease, negatively alter the body's processing and distribution of certain nutrients, such as fats and carbohydrates. Metabolic disorders can be influenced by factors that include weight, sleep, family history, and certain health conditions.
Excessive fat buildup in the liver or certain health conditions may increase the risk of developing MASH. Your health care professional (HCP) may refer to these as cardiometabolic risk factors, because these conditions also affect your cardiovascular system, which is made up of your heart and blood vessels. Cardiometabolic risk factors include type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, high triglycerides (a type of fat), and low HDL (good cholesterol).
Learning to recognize your risk factors can help you know when it’s time to talk to your HCP about whether you should be screened for MASH.
COULD YOU BE AT RISK?
See what risk factors and other common conditions are associated with MASH.
How does fatty liver progress to MASH?
While fatty liver disease doesn’t always progress, it can potentially reach any of these stages:
It's important to know that lifestyle changes can help during these 3 stages.
Healthy liver
A healthy liver will have a small amount of fat and performs many functions.
It's important to know that lifestyle changes can help during these 3 stages.
Fatty liver
The fat content in the liver is greater than 5%. When identified early, certain lifestyle changes (including losing weight) can help reverse this buildup of excess fat.
MASH without scarring
When too much fat builds up in the liver, it can trigger inflammation. This may cause liver cells to become damaged.
MASH with scarring
Damaged liver cells may cause scarring. The buildup of scar tissue is known as fibrosis.
Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis occurs when liver scarring becomes severe and prevents the liver from working normally.
While it may take years to reach advanced stages of MASH, some people may progress faster than others.
MASH CAN SOMETIMES BE HARD TO DETECT
Symptoms can be vague, nonspecific, or even absent. Some people who reported symptoms prior to getting diagnosed experienced:
Abdominal pain
Nausea
Loss of appetite
Fatigue
Swelling in the abdomen
Because symptoms may not clearly indicate this disease, it's important to be aware of certain risk factors that may increase the likelihood of developing MASH.
Screening can expose MASH
Getting screened for MASH gives you the best opportunity for early detection, so you can take action. Why does this matter? When MASH is addressed early, liver damage may be stopped or even reversed.
MASH is sometimes referred to as a "silent" disease because there may be no symptoms, and even when symptoms are present, they may not clearly indicate MASH. Advanced stages of MASH come with potential complications that are anything but quiet, like liver cancer or liver failure due to cirrhosis. Fortunately, timely screening, detection, and management may help prevent future complications.
Getting screened for MASH may be easier than you think
Wondering about your risk for fatty liver disease or if existing fatty liver disease has progressed to MASH? With the development of noninvasive testing options, it may be easier than you think to screen for fatty liver disease and MASH. The first step in checking your liver health is talking with your doctor, who may recommend routine blood tests. If you had bloodwork done at a recent appointment, they may already have some of the information needed to start calculating your risk. After this step, your doctor may also ask you to get an ultrasound-based test to evaluate your liver.
Understanding your liver
What does the liver do?
The liver is big—both in size and responsibility. Not only is it the largest solid human organ, but it also performs more than 500 different functions to support your overall health, including:
Removing harmful substances from the blood
Regulating cholesterol
Maintaining blood sugar
Breaking down food into energy
Producing up to 90% of proteins found in the blood
Storing vitamins and minerals
A healthy liver can produce new cells to replace lost or damaged tissue, making it an organ with the unique ability to heal itself.
Your liver is closely connected to the health of another important organ, your heart. If you’re already working with an HCP to improve certain heart diseases, it may be time to bring your liver into the conversation by asking if you could be at risk for MASH.
By addressing MASH in its early stages, you may help stop or even reverse liver damage. Talk to your doctor about whether you should be screened for MASH if you think you may be at risk.
The information provided is for educational purposes only.
